The silver eyed agent
by stefaniuss
Summary: Even the smallest pebble can produce an avalanche, something that a out of his luck smuggler is about to find out. This is the story of Lena, silver eyed warrior of the latest generation forced to fight against an enemy far stronger than any yoma, but at the same time so familiar. Will she survive?
1. Chapter 1 The desperate search

**The silver eyed agent**

 **P.S. this is a crossover that tries to merge the world of Mass effect (created by the Bioware) and Claymore (created by Nohiriro yagi). All rights about the respective personages used are theirs and only theirs. I am not in any way, shape or form trying to gain money by using them. This is a simple work of fiction. Clear Now?!**

 **p.s. english is NOT my first language. I will do my best but if you notice grammar mistakes or a better way to spell a phrase do not hesitate and warn me ok?**

 **Chapter 1**

 **Deep space. Somewhere near the serpent's nebula. 27 January 2183**

The Serpent Nebula. An almost unknown fraction of space next to the Terminus system. Bordering the Geth's space and devoid of habitable planets, even infamous groups of pirates like Blue suns or Blood Pack tended to avoid this piece of space like the plague. With no planet to use as a base and the ever present chance of meeting a Geth warship, only a fool would try to venture inside these strange, uncharted lands where the only point of interest was a shrouded jump gate.

And yet today a ship was here, braving these dangerous places

Not a warship: too small, almost no weapons on display. The ship itself looked old, scarred. Untended.

Currently the small ship was orbiting near an uncharted white star, waiting patiently a command from its master. On the inside, the small ship reflected the lack of space: only four rooms were available, to be more precise a small infirmary, the engine room with its batteries, a small bed room furnished only with a small bed, an armchair and a desk, and last but not least the command room where the only actual occupant of the ship, an human man on his thirties dressed in a form fitting fatigue was currently residing. Huge quantities of sweat adorned his face and one of his nervous hand repeatedly moved toward a small canteen, now almost empty.

The pilot in question was clearly drunk, or at least a little tipsy. Many empty bottles rolled across the entire room and the whole place smelled of alcohol, but the pilot could not care less. "Stupid, stupid idiot." said the pilot to everyone and no one in particular. His breath smelled of alcohol, sweat and fear. Of one too many slepless nights and cranky days. "Stupid Aran, you knew that one day or the other your loose tongue would have brought you some trouble!"

And yet the month had started with such good omens.

Aran, the pilot in question, is an human and one of the many pirates, smugglers and (sometimes) slavers that infest the Terminus systems; he is not affiliated with none of the most important mercenary group that roam in the galaxy like the Blue suns, or the Eclipse, choosing instead of working alone and not having to share his spoils with anyone. Unlike many habitants of the Terminus system he is not an experienced fighter or a biotic, making him one of the least dangerous person that someone could meet in this part of the galaxy, but this deficit was compensated by his almost supernatural smuggling abilities. You need an experimental weapon crafted from the Turian Hegemony? No problem! The painting of an ancient Asary matriarch? Just say the word! Need to smuggle hundreds of kilos of red sand inside the Citadel? Done! Aran at this point of his years had managed to build quite the respectable reputation as a relatively trustworthy and fair smuggler in the Terminus system, and smart enough to avoid poking at someone's else business, like the Shadow broker.

He is neither the most famous smuggler in the galaxy, nor the richest, but Aran is fine with that: his own skin is worth far more that some thousand of credits.

But he had a problem: he love to boast about his skills. He always loved to do this.

All of this mess happened some days ago. Aran had just finished one of his routine works, a smuggling contract on behalf of the Eclipse, and the only thing that the young smuggler wanted to do was to spend every single credit accumulated in some night club on Omega, an ancient mining station and now the most lawless and infamous space station of the galaxy. This station was currently governed by an ancient and cunning Asari called Aria T'Loack, the queen of Omega, and thanks to her rulership the station and his dangerous criminals, managed to prosper and become a beacon of lawless authority in the Terminus system.

He was satisfied, at least at the beginning. Almost all the doors of the space station are open if you possess credits or friends, something that Aran posses in abundance. Afterlife mean strong drinks, great prostitutes of every races, loads of laughing and no animosity whatsoever among his clients. The Afterlife is after all the heart of Aria's power and no one in all Omega or the Terminus system is brave -or stupid- enough to challenge the queen of Omega inside the center of her own kingdom. Even the biggest mercenary organizations like the Blue suns, the Blood pact or the Eclipse are mindful of such unwritten rule.

Here a member of the Blood pact could meet another of the Eclipse with the certainty that no fight would ensue and simply enjoy their drinks.

Aran entered inside such a club just after docking his ship in one of the main hangar of the station, eager to blow off some steam. He was not deluded: Afterlife greeted him with heavy and loud music coming from dozens of stereos, dozens of Asari strippers showing their perfect bodies upon raised platforms and the promise of a great, unforgettable night. The smuggler wanted to have fun and immediately reached the counter at the center of the club. First of all he loudly claimed to be the best smuggler in all the universe while offering a free shot to whoever would drink in his honor, something that lured dozens of bored people always eager for something new and free to exploit. After two shots of Asari wine an entire scratch company was singing his name. Three shots and a pair of asari strippers materialized next to him, their amazing bodies rubbing his back and purring sweet words inside Aran's ears. This night went on for hours, making it one of the most memorable soiree that the young smuggler even had, assuming he managed to remember something after the eleventh drink. Unfortunately the fate had other plans for young Aran, much bigger plans than simply laying drunk for hours in some damp corner of the station after the biggest drinking contest of his life. The young smuggler, intoxicated as he was after so many shots didn't noticed the some of the people interested in his exploits were not drinking merrily and praising their new patron. One Salarian in particular was only faking his celebration while working with his omni-tool, checking information about this new noisy guest of the Afterlife. After discovering that said smuggler was not a fluke, but was instead a genuine expert on his job a small smile crept in his face.

"This is Illish" said the Salarian in his intercom while sending a package to some one "Tell T'Von to send some of his goons and detain this human. Just wait until he is completely wasted. No sense annoying the queen even if we are technically on her pay grade."

A simple acknowledged from someone was the response that the Salarian received. Satisfied Illish decided to leave the Afterlife and let the young human have his last hours of happiness. He knew, after all, what was about to happen. The sound of jollity and entertainment were so loud that followed the Salarian even after he managed to extricate from the crowd of people that were having fun in the club and reaching the exit. Not even the goons sent by his employer, a pair of burly Krogan with the symbol of Aria of their chest, managed to stop the feast in a reasonable time.

 **Ten hours later. Unknown part of the Omega station**

"By the all of the hells, my poor head!" Cursed a very drunk Aran after he finally managed to cast off the enormous hangover accumulated after a night that would forever remember in his heart. His head was pounding like a drum and the mother of all the hangovers in the galaxy was ripping him apart but at least he was finally conscious. The last thing he remembered was kissing a pretty little asari dame before drinking the tenth glass of brandy. After that, just a blur.

-Well, at least now I am relatively fine- mused Aran while trying to remember everything that happened last night

-Now let's wake up and- his trail of thinking ended abruptly when the young smuggler noticed that he was incapable to get up from the place where he was sitting. Someone had chained him on top of a chair with iron bonds.

"What the fuck!" exclaimed Aran. His body immediately stiffened in the vain hope of winning the bonds that were keeping secured on top of the chair but all his effort were for naught: many chains kept him tightly bound, groaning but refusing to break. A feeling of dread started to fill the smuggler's body.

"Ok Aran, calm yourself!" said Aran while trying to maintain a semblance of control

"Check where you are, find something to free yourself. You can do this." Immediately his eyes scanned the room where he was imprisoned and noticed that whoever was his captor he was not a poor man. The place looked bigger than his own ship and everywhere expensive furnitures like mahogany desks, silken carpets and crystal lamps. A cutting edge computer was placed next to a couch and, for what Aran could see, the entire floor was made of wood! One hell of a luxury if you live on Omega.

"Whoever is my captor is, must be filthy rich." commented Aran "But I have no enemies here on Omega, who could ever" The sound of a door opening grabbed Aran's attention. His captor was here.

He was a Turian, dressed with a beige attire and at least one head taller than him. Black, striped skin adorned with discolored crests. No tattoos adorned his bare face, sign that he was a renegade for his people. He had a large mouth and eyes devoid of pity.

Aran lost what little control he had after seeing him: he knew him. Everyone on Omega knew him. His name is T'Von and according to the rumors he had once been a prominent general inside the Turian hierarchy, just before having his career ingloriously interrupted by a sordid story of corruption. Cast aside with shame he ended up somehow on Omega and managed to become the only gladiator trainer allowed inside the station. Aria trusted him and only him on that matter. Whoever angered him angered her, and that was the reason why Aran almost fainted for the fear after seeing him, a thing that T'Von noticed immediately.

"Relax human" said T'Von to Aran "If I wanted you dead you wold already be." Aran's sight of relief was probably heard across all the station.

"Then why I am here?" asked while tugging the chains

"Because I have a business deal to offer you, and because if you shall refuse I will break your neck and I do not want you squirming away and ruining my shot." simply replied T'Von.

Well, that was very comforting!

"You need my for a smuggling work?" realized Aran immediately. The mandibles of T'Von twitched in approval

"Correct, I am glad to notice that you are not a total idiot. I made some researches about you, human: Aran Rioss; thirty three years old, professional smuggler from at least five, known as one of the most reliable and expert in your field. Smart, honest, precise, exactly what I need."

"Then why all of this mess?" asked Aran in disbelief "I am not in hiding and sure as fuck I would never deny a meeting with a client like yourself."

"I know I know boy but, see, I also discovered that you cannot keep your mouth shut for a minute, and I d'rather avoid dangerous leaks of informations. I am sure you understand." Aran simply groaned. His fucking mouth, of course it was his mouth's fault.

"As you already know, Aria graciously allowed me to find, train and prepare the gladiators that fights inside the arenas of Omega and, modestly aside, I think I made quite a good job during these years. Alas, the crowd is insatiable and is finally showing signs of being tired of what we are offering: They do not want more Krogans or biotics, they want something new; something unheard of, a new kind of gladiator."

"I see" said Aran interrupting him "Then why not contacting some slaver organizations? They are surely better suited than me for such a task."

T'Von backhanded him in the face with one of his taloned fist, making clear that he did not appreciated being interrupted, a concept that a now bleeding Aran immediately grasped.

"As I was saying" continued T'Von "The slavers do not have what I am looking for. Their products are always broken and useless, good only to fill the arena with their blood. I need a gladiator, not a slave, and you are the one who shall find it." finished wi a small grin.

Aran opened and closed his mouth once, twice before finally connecting the words he heard to his brain. When he finally managed the only phrase that managed to get out was a simple

"Care to repeat?"

"You heard me, boy." answered T'Von "You have all the qualities that you need. Accept it and the reward will be astronomical. Refuse and I kill you where you stand."

Aran didn't even listened to the menace, his brain was too busy analyzing the offer he had just received: T'Von wanted him to find a gladiator, but not a simple one like a Krogan. He could not even be an yagh because that beast were quite known in the shady circles of the galaxy; he could not even be a biotic so no ex soldier of the army or Asari matron. But what the hell was hoping to find T'Von? An human strong enough to defeat a Krogan barehanded? An Hanar capable to defeat dozens of enemy by himself? Insanity, but refusing meant death.

In the end, after much thinking, Aran decided to accept the offer for now and running to the relatively safety of her ship. If worse come to worse Omega would become a forbidden place to him, an annoyance but not the end of the world.

"Very well mr T'Von, I accept your offer."

"Perfect! Now it is time of the persuasor." said T'Von

"Persuasor? What are you talking about? Aho!" Aran felt something sharp like a needle puncturing his right wrist, immediately followed by a strange dizziness. His body suddenly became numb and strange colors filled his eyes.

"What I have just injected you is an experimental drug concocted by some biology expert residing here on Omega." Explained T'Von with a calm voice. To Aran it felt far and barely audible. "Officially it does not exist and I am the only one with a cure. Its effect are not fast, it usually take thirty days to kill a person, but they assured me that the results are most painful. Do not try to find an alternative cure after exiting from my apartment block. I made already sure that no one in the galaxy would even dare hiring you to smuggle even a pencil before finishing my work."

The weight of the statement it Aran with the strength of a truck

-Fuck, I'm dead- screamed his brain, on the other hand T'Von was smiling at his fear

"You have thirty day and then, if you do not have found my prize, the poison will pay for me."

* * *

What happened, after knowing from T'Von now literally had his life on his talons, would forever remain a blur for the young smuggler. The only thing that his hazy brain managed to remember are the Turian freeing him from the bonds, a desperate run for his ship, the entire run made with the icing feeling of fear seeping trough his body, and getting as far away as possible from the station. He could not even remember how did he managed to activate the ship and run away from the station. Only after leaving the ominous station behind and drinking copious quantities of alcool Aran managed to regain some form of control. The first thing he decided to check was if was true that T'Von locked all his partners and buyers until he honored his end of the deal, and unfortunately the Turian words proved to not be idle threats: no one answered his calls, and the few who did simply told him to leave them alone. The same luck followed him when he tried to contact some well known mob physician, receiving in exchange only silence.

"For fuck's sake!" cursed Aran after giving up "This is a nightmare, it must be! That fucking bastard of a Turian could not be serious. What does it expect from me? I am not a slaver!" But it was not a nightmare, the chain marks and needle scar were enough proofs that everything was real and that, more that everything else, moved him to fulfill his end of the bargain.

His first attempt lasted three days and involved a thorough research in the official canals of the galaxy, like extranet and military channels, but he quickly discovered the futility of this action. A retired soldier was not what he was looking for. His second attempt involved the Batarian hegemony and their immense slave markets, all packed to the brim with any kind of creature of the galaxy, all broken and ready to be bought; Aran lost the count of the number of slave pens scoured by his eyes while desperately searching for something that could please T'Von, but even that lead proved to be void. The thing he was looking for was simply impossible to find, even among the Batarians.

Ten days of desperate research passed without results, and Aran's efforts started becoming even more frantic: No lead was left unchecked, no trail untouched. The all ended in a failure.

Depressed by all these in successes, Aran decided to try a different approach: instead of looking for a sentient creature he shifted his gaze toward a feral one, something like a rachny monster or a new species! Something that could satisfy that bastard of a Turian, but even that trail proved to be in vain. After the fifteenth day desperation gripped the young smuggler, to the point that he almost killed himself just to end this charade! He somehow managed to ward off such sentiments and resumed his work, this time deciding to check the serpent nebula, an uncharted piece of space. Maybe there was something new inside unexplored space and besides, it was not like he had something to lose at this point and he could not care less for breaking Citadel's rule.

Tired fingers set the course while the ship computer prepared the mass effect core in preparation for the travel. Everything was running smoothly and Aran ended up waiting patiently for the Mass effect jump and in that moment the disaster struck: the fear, the pain, the tireless search for the perfect gladiator destroyed Aran's body and mind, granting him a tenacious fever that refused to leave him even when packed to the brim with antibiotics and painkillers. On normal circumstances, Aran would have stopped his efforts, lied down and waited for it to pass. Right now he simply refused to care, and this proved to be a fatal mistake. Just a second before departing, a sneeze managed to escape from his lips, one so strong that forced Aran to push himself near the control panel and completely screw over the course. Red claxson immediately flared on all the ship and the ship started vibrating and preparing itself for the jump but with a totally wrong angle. Aran immediately noticed the danger and tried to fix the damage but it was too late: the jump was set and all system were already locked. The only thing left to do was sitting tight and praying that he would not have ended inside a star or something like that.

"Fuck fuck fuck!" cursed Aran in rage and fear "I knew that my tongue would have become the death of me!"

The ship started shuddering while the metal hull moaned like a living creature. All the panel control were going insane and the less was said about the engine the better. Aran closed his eyes and remained still. At this point only the computer and an huge dose of luck could save him.

-Here goes nothing- thought Aran one second before the launch. The ship computer ended to prepare the coordinates and finally jumped, much faster that it should have.

A blinding light hit Aran and suddenly the world stopped.

 **Unknown planet, 21 47, Alphonse territory**

"Look mum, a falling body!" exclaimed a small child while pointing at the sky with her little fingers. Her companion, a tall looking woman in her twenties, looked at the sky just where her little companion was pointing at. The child was right: a small, purple mass of light moved across the void, his fiery tail shining like a bonfire lit inside the blackest of nights "It is a falling star, Raina" answered the bigger girl with a grin "I have never seen one so bright. We are blessed."

"Maybe it is a star creature! You know, one of the creatures mentioned by the priests of Rabona!"

The young lady and their fantasies, always ready to see the best situation in anything they see. How can they do such a thing is a mystery, and frankly the woman could not care less: Raina was happy, she was happy and her happiness was one of the reason she allowed her to accompany her during her work trips alongside the island.

A common person would have been surprised to see a young woman, barely twenty-five years old, traveling alone with her seven years old daughter along the island, especially considering the huge amount of yomas and bandits that still roamed the roads, but the truth was that these travelers: the woman's name was Lena and, on a shallow look he appeared as a pretty and helpless human girl with her daughter: a well toned body adorned by medium-sized breasts; long, powerful legs, the results of many years of training and walking; a small but cute and regular face, with long, ash-blonde colored hairs closed into a ponytail that almost reached her backside. A normal, beautiful girl; until someone look at her eyes.

Silver colored eyes. The eyes of a Claymore.

Everyone on the island knew about the Claymores, women kidnapped by the organization and transformed in silver-eyed witches, creatures half yoma half human and far stronger that a normal human being. Their giant broad swords that gave them their famous name was so heavy that trained knights were unable to use them in battle, yet a Claymore could effortlessly use it without breaking a sweat; some Claymores were even famous for using two of such monstrous weapons during battles. Such strength and agility were the dreams of many would be conquerors, but all of this power had a steep price to pay: awakening.

Simply put a Claymore had to constantly fight his yoma side unless she wanted to become a ruthless monster that devoured human guts on a daily basis. This was a daily battle for a Claymore, one that not always, despite the Claymore's efforts, ended in victory. Sometimes the pain is simply too much to overcome and in that case the Claymore "awaken". After such incident only two endings await the unfortunate warrior: the awakened Claymore send a particular card, called the Black card, to a friend of hers so that she could be mercifully killed or, if it is already too late for that, the other warriors band together in an hunting group and put her down, a task easier said than done considering that the awakening drastically improved the martial prowess of any warrior.

Raina, the child next to her, was also a Claymore but different from her: the process of creating a Claymore must forcibly begin at the age of six and be constantly monitored during the development phase of a child. For that reason the organization that created Claymore possessed strong ties with the slavers bands that infested the island: they needed recruits and the slavers provided….at the right price. Raina had been one of such recruits and had already received the initial treatment that resulting in her skin becoming porcelain white and having silver eyes as well as possessing a fraction of the Claymore strength.

They were both dressed with brown and green traveller robes with the only difference of Lena having silver shoulder guards equipped with a scabbard.

Just some months ago the Claymores were subjected to the tyrannical whims of the organization, the group of people that experimented of them and forced them to fight for their gains, but everything had changed with the coming of the seven renegades warriors, the only survivors of the infamous battle of Pieta. After that day these renegades swore on the graves of their fallen comrades to topple the organization and their foul experiments, so that no other child would suffer like they did.

They managed to win at the end, but at a steep price: one of the seven warrior died at the peak of the final battle, and many poor lives paid the ultimate price during this civil war. The Claymores were finally free.

However at the eyes of many people the Claymores were only witches, monsters as dangerous as any yoma and unworthy of being called human beings. This caused massive frictions among warriors and common people. Only one city, the city of Rabona, proved to be the exception of the rule and decided to not reject them, mostly thank to the fact that the dominant class, the clergy, saw the warriors as lost lambs and not bloodthirsty monsters. Thanks to their efforts more than thirty warriors managed to find work as guards, construction workers, maids inside the city, something, something impossible to even think outside these holy walls. They even accepted the youngest trainees as orphans in their convents.

But what to do with the ones unable to be assimilated inside the city, the ones too insane or too prideful to be accepted? The answer was simple: leave them to their own fate.

To an outsider this could seem a cruel decision to make but the honest truth was that not everyone could be saved. Sometimes you have to leave alone someone and hope for the best.

Lena belonged to the former group. A warrior that, before meeting Raina, simply lived hand-to-mouth while trying to give a new purpose to her life. Even among the her peers Lena was considered a solitary type, aloof and distant to everyone but two warriors that trusted with her life. She barely talked to people and always preferred to be on her own. But when Raina crashed in her life everything about her changed: she became her reason to live and for her she decided to come out from the shell, to find a work so that she could give to Raina an house, nothing too fancy but cozy and comfortable, and a proper life and to stop rejecting others. Being able to run faster than an horse for days allowed Lena to find work as courier and messenger for various trading guilds. It was a good work, well paid and not too dangerous with the only downside that sometimes she was forced to stay away from home for a considerably amount of time. Other times, like this time, Raina even insisted of accompanying her if the travel was not too tiring or long.

These were the people that were looking at the strange purple light, and after some seconds their expressions of interest became tainted with fear. Normally a falling star disappear after some seconds, a fickle light in the immensity of the night, but this one refused to disappear; the second passed and the light started to become brighter, closer, more dangerous.

Lena's body immediately reacted to the potential danger and her yoki, the yoma parts in her, started to flow along with her blood inside her body, mutating and improving it with a sickening sound of strained flesh and stretched muscles. Her silver eyes changed of a bright golden color.

"Mum?" asked Raina scared. The child's grip on Lena tightened all of a sudden

Lena refused to answer, her body totally focused to the potential treat coming near her, now so close to let her eyes notice a strange figure inside the fiery light, some kind of construction.

-I have Raina to take care, but if that thing is dangerous I cannot escape. It seems faster than Miria. Fight it? No, too dangerous. What can I do?-

These and thousand of other thought raced inside the young warrior's mind, but all were interrupted when the strange object ended his race, hitting the terrain a bit far from their position with so much strength that for a second the land itself quaked in fear. Dazzling light invested the countryside and for a moment both Lena and Raina were forced to look away from the crashing land.

"Mum, have you seen? The star has come for us, what are we going to do?" Asked a terrified Raina.

-What are we going to do indeed- mused Lena: come back and report the incident to Miria? A fair plan if not for the fact that in the meantime that...thing from the sky would remain unguarded.

-If only i were alone! It would have made everything much simpler!- cursed Lena inside her mind. After some second of tense reasoning she finally reached a conclusion

"Raina listen well, we need to check what is that thing. Do you remember my lessons about how to hide yourself at the eyes of an enemy, human or yoma?"

The girl quickly nodded

"Good, cling to my shoulders." The little girl quickly obeyed and wrapped her arms around Lena's back. Once she was securely tied to her body Lena started increasing the quantity of yoki inside her legs and prepared her legs for a long run.

"If something happen to me" said Lena with a serious tone "Take my stuff, follow the road and escape to Rabona, am I clear?"

"Mum, I can't" tried to say Raina but Lena angrily interrupted her

"AM. I. CLEAR? Repeated with an hint of command. Raina swallowed a lump of tears and nodded

"Good, let's go." Lena stretched her limbs and ran in the direction of the strange light, her limb unnaturally fast. In less than five minutes they were already gone.

 **So, this is my first attempt of writing a fan fiction, and i have to admit it: i am scared shitless. I am not a professional writer and english is not even my first language so for all that i know this first part is a complete mess unworthy of being called story. I hope someone will find it intriguing and if not well, it was worth a try.**


	2. Chapter 2 i Have finally found it!

Chapter 2

I have finally found it!

 **So, 80 viewers and two reviews, both if not outright enthusiast at least intrigued. It is actually more that I had hoped for when I started writing! Considering that my writing skills are barely average and Claymore is not a very common manga I was expecting far less people.**

 **Anyway here part two. The idea is writing chapter with a minimum of 5000 words and a maximum of 10000. If you want more, or less, just tell me.**

 **As always I own nothing of both franchises and I am not gaining a single euro from this so please do not sue me.**

 **Unknown planet, Borders near Alphonse. Two minutes after the crash landing**

Savaged and burned trees as far as the eyes could see; shattered rocks, burning grass, a massive trail of tossed earth two kilometers long ending with Aran's ship still scorching because of the improvised landing.

Saying that Aran's ship made a controlled crash landing would be the understatement of the century: the forest where Aran managed to land now showed a massive, burning scar as far as the eyes can see and only the dampness of the night, coupled by many days of rain quite common in this part of the island, stopped the blazing trees to begin a massive wildfire.

And yet, the ship still looked fine. Battered, scorched, but not broken. Just like his pilot.

It took at least two minutes before the poor pilot could even think about moving from his seat, such was the trauma and pain suffered during the landing. Trembling hands shakily grabbed the edges of his console and slowly, insulting every god known in the universe while doing it, the smuggler finally managed to get back on his feet and to gain back a minimum sense of control. His head still felt as if thousand of Krogans were using it as a drum, but at least he was still alive.

The bridge was a mess. most of the consoles were either deactivated or broken, half of the emergency lights destroyed and a carpet of broken bottles covered most of the floor. The strident, monotonous sound of the alarm constantly ringed inside Aran's ears and for a mad, terrifying second, the smuggler feared the worst for his ship.

"Come on baby, you had it worse during these years!" Aran's finger danced above the few active consoles "Tell me that you are fine!"

Beads of sweat ran trough the half-lifeless panel while the omni-tool immediately attached itself to the main computer, analyzing every inch of the ship, looking for permanent damage. They found nothing.

All primary system like Vital support, Helm and engines gave him the green light; many sub subsystems were gone, fried during the landing and the bulkheads need to entirely changed but, apart for that, the ship was fine.

"Thanks god for small mercies, now" thanked Aran "Where am i?" Thankfully, the sensor array was still fine so all he had to do was placing some input on the main computer and waited for the answer. Ten good minutes passed before the computer finished his work, time that Aran used to clean up the mess caused by the broken bottles and to reactivate the normal lights. The report arrived trough his omni-tool and Aran immediately looked at the results. According to his sensor, he was even more inside the snake nebula, next to the Perseus veil; more precisely he ended up inside a small cluster of three planets and a small yellow star hidden somewhere inside said nebula. The sensor found no traces of advanced life on the planet, and yet the orbital arrays found a fully functioning Mass effect relay in orbit, just waiting for him.

The air was breathable and strangely similar to the one on Earth so there was no risk of immediate death.

-An entire system inhabited and a Garden world with an active mass relay- mused Aran -A shame that is so close to Geth space and covered by nebulas. I wonder who activated the relay for me. This is Geth space after all, and no charts talk about this place. No matter, now I can-

His chain of thought was rudely interrupted by the ship's proximity alarm: four humanoid creatures were coming toward his ships. For some reason the computer partially identified them as humans, even if this was clearly not possible. Another creature was also coming, but it was so fast that the computer failed to gain a clear signature. The only clear thing for Aran was that unwelcome guests were coming and were coming fast!

The doors were mostly open for the intruders. Aran tried to reactivate the remote door control but the sub system was beyond destroyed and refused to work, forcing the smuggler to take a more direct approach.

Aran quickly left the bridge and sprinted towards his personal armory. The room had also been hit hard by the landing, with scattered pieces of furnitures strewn everywhere on the floor, but Aran couldn't care less at the moment; the only important thing was that the weapon container near his bed was intact.

Aran unlocked the container lock and immediately brought out a blue Sirta foundation armor mark seven equipped with medical IV, a heavy pistol, his trusted Katana shotgun armed with incendiary rounds and a pouch full of grenades. He was not the best gun man in the galaxy and he knew it, but he doubted that a bunch of primitive beasts could harm him now.

-Good- thought Aran while grinning at his shotgun -Now let's greet the new comers.-

Aran exited from his personal room and immediately darted toward the exit, breathing the air of the planet for the first time. As predicted by the computer the place was remarkably similar to Earth, even the grass had the same color. Small trees slowly danced at the wind's tune and dozens of small fires caused by the crash landing, together with the pallid face of the moon, were dimly illuminating the area showing small ash-colored trees and clusters of shrubbery.

Aran did not wasted time admiring the scenery and immediately activated his omni-tool performing a wide scan of the surrounding area, and immediately noticed that the first four creatures previously discovered were near, almost next to him, waiting. He was surrounded.

"Come out, you bastardly sons of bitches" shouted Aran while menacingly brandishing his shotgun "I known you are out of here, waiting for me!"

For some, tensed seconds nothing happened, and Aran hoped that whatever was outside simply decided to go away and leave him in peace. Then, out of seemingly nowhere the last thing Aran imagined to find on a newly discovered planet come out from their hiding spots: four humans, all dressed with brown and black robes made on linen. Their faces were quite anonymous, all with brown eyes and hairs, and partially covered by cloaks but they were definitely human beings!

-No no! This is impossible! They can't be humans! This is an undiscovered planet!- thought a flabbergasted Aran. His hands immediately flied to his omni-tool, ordering a full body scan of this new comers, hoping to receive an answer.

"Mhm...hello there friend" said one of the humans in the meantime "We are merchants coming from Rabona. We noticed the strange flying…..thing coming down near the forest and decided to go and take a look. Are you ok? You look like someone who just saw a specter"

Right into that moment a quiet beep told Aran that his omni-tool had just finished analyzing the newcomers. What it shown to Aran managed to deeply disturb the smuggler: purple blood, unknown organs, inhuman brain patterns and hundreds upon hundreds of insane datas!

These newcomers were clearly not human despite the appearance.

"Merchants you say" uttered Aran "Merchants without merchandise, without guards, without nothing!" he immediately pointed the shotgun in the face of the nearest false human "Merchants that are not even what they seem. Begone before I open fire!"

The creature were clearly surprised by his words because looked at him with a shocked expression.

"Not human!? No wait friend, you are" tried to say one of the creature but Aran interrupted him

"You are not my friend and I said begone!" roared Aran without patience.

But they did not disappeared, on the contrary, they remained perfectly still. Then, after some seconds, one of the creatures talked once again, but this time his voice was different, more drawled and powerful, like an alien creature trying to speak the human language and failing miserably in doing so.

"Now this is interesting" said the creature "A human that can recognize us. A shame that this won't save you."

The merchants immediately started transforming right in front of Aran eyes. Their dresses were torn apart allowing new flesh and bone to be free to expand. Their skin, once light brown, became of a sickly dark green. Their eyes became similar to the ones of cats while new sharp claws and teeth adorned their now slavering mouths. Long tongues started clacking vigorously in prospective of eating a new prey.

Called yoma by common people, these creatures were the failed experiments of the organization. Rejected by their former masters and barely able to control their inner monster they usually wandered from village to village, killing and devouring any unfortunate traveler they met until someone, usually a Claymore, ended their life. Much stronger than normal humans, these creature were able to devour entire villages by themselves to the last woman and child! With the fall of the organization their number were now dwindling but small groups of them, the smartest ones, were still roaming around undisturbed and preyed upon lone wanderers and peddlers.

The monsters, because that is what they were for Aran's eyes, immediately charged the lone human. After all, how could an unharmed man stop four yomas like them?

The answer of such question arrived when Aran squeezed the trigger of his shotgun and a shower of incendiary bullet sprayed what few brain the lead yoma possessed against his brethrens. Such was the strength of the blast that the yoma's body flied for some meters before falling down in a puddle of gore and purple blood and this blocked the charge of his remaining companions, the creatures too stunned by how their leader had been killed to properly react; but when the human pointed the strange tube in their direction they immediately retreated by sidestepping out of the way and avoiding a second blast that shredded a small tree instead. Aran flattened himself near the hull and scanned the surrounding area; he had only one shot before recharging and he wanted to make it count! Another of the creature leaped at him with uncanny speed managing to surprise the nervous smuggler and to hit him with one of his long claws. The creature's aim was true and his claw hit Aran square in the chest, but the armor proved to be too strong for the yoma's claws and instead of breaking all of Aran's ribs what the yoma heard was a screeching sound followed by a snap. The attack had only dazed Aran while the yoma grunted and tried to retreat, one of his bony claws now broken and lodged inside his enemy's armor but nothing else. With gritted teeth Aran ignored the pain, placed his shotgun right next to the creature's and squeezed the trigger. There was a loud bang and the yoma was cut in half in a shower of purple blood.

Aran reeled near the hull of his ship while his overly excited brain tried to take a break. He was a smuggler after all, not a mercenary or an operative! He was not used to such battles.

The last two enemies were also nervous: after all since when normal humans possessed such formidable weapons?

"See what this beauty can do? Show off or the next ones in the fucking list will be you!" Cried Aran trying to intimidate the last two of his would be assassins, but the creatures refused to escape. They simply looked at him with their bestial stares, unsure of what to do.

All of a sudden both of the creature leaped out of his way, one on his right and the other on his left.

-What the hell are they doing?- though Aran looking at their action. They were not escaping that was sure. The answer of his question come when both the creatures charged at him in a pincer attack coming from both his angles, forcing him only to chose only one of them.

They had understood that his shotgun was powerful, but capable of killing only one at the time.

-Fuck, these beasts know how to attack with strategy!- reasoned a now very panicked Aran -They are not as mindless as I thought.-

Blinded by panic Aran did not even tried to recharge the weapon, instead he unholstered his sidearm and fired blindly at the nearest enemy. The first three shots missed the target by mere inches and the monster howled in triumph for this; Aran was at one step from panicking and started spraying and praying, not even caring anymore if he used all his shots agains one target. One bullet hit the yoma square in the chest just when his claws were an ounce near his victim's neck, the force of the impact making him tumble backward; then another bullet hit him near the jaw ripping it away from his mouth. Aran kept firing, refusing to let the creature get away and almost destroying the pistol for overheating. In the end the thermal clip was ejected by the exhausted pistol while the yoma's corpse, at this point riddled with bullet holes, collapsed on the wet ground in a puddle of his own blood but the last yoma was still here and attacked right at that moment the distracted smuggler. Such was the strength of the attack that Aran did not managed to stay on his feet and tumbled down, losing the grasp on his handgun in the process. The yoma immediately capitalized his advantage and attacked the downed enemy with a flurry of blows and cuts that managed to stun his target. Aran on the other hand was at this point barely conscious and unable to retaliate in any meaningful way.

Seeing that the armor was too strong for his claws, the yoma changed tactic: he searched for an unprotected part of his enemy's neck and, when found it, used it to strangle his prey. Aran reacted instinctively and tried to lash out against the yoma but to no avail: the beast's grip was one of iron and Aran's lung immediately felt the pressure. The yoma slowly and methodically chocked the life out of his victim, letting out a howl of victory and already looking forward for the banquet. He could not care less about the death of its comrades, for its twisted mind saw this only as less competition from now on.

The human's face started to become blue, his frantic attack even more desperate and weak. He was about to die and the yoma knew it. He just needed to keep the pressure for another couple of seconds, and then….

An excruciating pain gripped the yoma's body. The monster howled in pain and instinctively raised his arm in defense of the new menace only to discover that something had severed both of them in one quick swing! A fountain of purple blood showered the area while the creature looked everywhere in searching of the new enemy and when he noticed the newcomer what little blood was left in him frozen in fear. A giant great-sword already slick with blood firmly kept in one small hand, white skin fairer than the purest snow and dimly lighted by the dying fires, two cat-like eyes.

A Claymore. Their sworn enemies.

The yoma completely disregarded his prey at the sight of the hated enemy and madly dashed toward the wilderness in a desperate attempt of survival.

A futile effort: the Claymore lunged against the fleeing yoma with unnatural speed and cut both his legs with a single strike. The beast was now bleeding heavily and helpless, barely able to crawl away from the battlefield but the Claymore stopped him by placing a boot right on his chest.

"Please Claymore" begged the yoma "You have already punished me enough! Spare me! Don't" his pathetic prayer was rudely interrupted by a single strike of the Claymore's sword, and the wretched beast's head quietly rolled away like a piece of crumpled paper, ending his life in an instant.

With a fluid movement the Claymore cleared her sword of the purple blood and then re encased it in the scabbard, then she remained still on her place, focusing every inch of her spirit in some kind of mysterious task. Such was her focus that a foreign observer would have thought that the lone girl was some kind of statue and not a living being. A long, excruciating minute passed and a surreal silence engulfed the battlefield, interrupted only by the sporadic cracking sound of the bonfires. Finally the Claymore's pose lost her stiffness and a sight of relief escaped from the warrior's mouth.

There were no other yomas signs in the vicinity. The battle was finally over.

* * *

Lena kneeled and observed with curiosity the traveler that she had just saved, cursing for the eleventh time her non-existent yoki perception ability that stopped her from sensing the four small yoki aura of the recently slain yoma. Their aura were so small that she simply failed noticed the yoma until she literally stumbled in their bodies. Thank the twin goddesses she managed to save him in extremis!

Slowly, trying to not hurt the unconscious man, Lena tried to remove the strange metal armor the stranger possessed so that she could take a look at his injuries, but miserably failed. The strange metal armor seemed almost fused in the skin of his wielder; no straps or restraints kept the various metal plates connected and the armor looked forged on a single massive piece of metal. A true masterpiece!

In the end, after five minutes of thorough research, Lena simply decided to not waste any more time and to bring the stranger next to a camping spot where she had left Raina. While doing this the young Claymore could not avoid to think about the strange person she was carrying with her: he was not a person from the island, his blue armor was too complex and decorated for being the work of some metalsmith of the island and besides, somehow this man had managed to kill three yoma by himself! The fact than a simple human could kill a yoma was not such a surprise for Lena. Claire's fiancee, that young man called Raki, could also do that; but this stranger somehow managed to kill three yomas all by himself, and in such a peculiar ways! One yoma had been cut in half by some kind of giant axe and later burned to death, another mauled by an enormous flail and, last but not least, the third yoma showed dozens of quarrel wounds. To make matters even more mysterious, the only object found by Lena after a fast patrolling was a strange glowing tube made of silver, clearly made by the same artisan who forged that strange armor no doubt. No crossbow, no flail, no axe, nothing else.

Well nothing except the giant metal contraption that somehow managed to fall down from the goddesses forsaken sky!

-Whatever!- Thought Lena while going back to Raina with the unconscious man on his back -First let's secure this man. Then I will check that…..thing.-

Raina looked at the unconscious man with an interrogative expression

"Mum, who is he?" asked the child eyeing the strange armor

"No idea" answered Lena "But he somehow managed to kill three yomas by himself and almost got killed in the process dear. I have to check something now so keep an eye of him. If he start waking up flare your small yoki like I have instructed and I will immediately come back."

"Ok mum, come back quickly." answered the child. Lena flashed her a small smile and then immediately come back to the battlefield. For some minutes she carefully explored the surrounding place, still searching the missing weapons used by the stranger to kill the yomas. After doing so, and failing miserably in the process, the young Claymore decided to focus on the giant thing that was near her. It was a strange construction, entirely made of metal now scorched and blackened and vaguely similar of a resting hawk. It was long at least twenty meters and wide seven. Right now it was jagged and dirty but it was still beautiful for Lena's eyes, like a giant wounded predator. But what was truly interesting Lena was the opened hatch of the construct. A mystery waiting to be discovered!

Something that just an handful of people knew was that Lena was quite the unquiet mind. A new way to use your yoki power? Let's try! You found an abandoned castle? Let's explore it and so on and so on.

The common sense was screaming at her to not enter inside the contraption, but what was the fun in that?

Without hesitation Lena entered inside the ship.

* * *

"Well, this is….uncommon." commented Lena after some second. The inside of the thing was as strange as his outside: dozens of smokeless white lights placed on the roof were illuminating the place with the strength of a small sun. The walls were covered by white-metal panels made of an unknown alloy and perfectly wedged in. Even the floor was made on metal, a strange green colored non ferrous metal that was warm to the touch. The room where Lena entered appeared as some kind of giant and empty corridor, devoid of any kind of furnitures and linked to three massive doors leading the goddesses only knew where. Everything appeared so well cleaned and tended, so….alien.

-The stranger must be filthy rich, not even the clergy could afford a building entirely made of metal- thought the girl.

Her curiosity barely tinged, Lena chose one of the three doors and decided to take a closer look at it. It was a steel-covered door, devoid of any handle and firmly shut. Lena tried to push it, without success. She tried to pull then; still no success.

Annoyed by the sudden problem, Lena unsheathed her sword and stroke the door with a violent thrust but the metal was barely scratched by the violent attack. Clearly brute force was not the solution here, and so Lena opted for a different strategy: noticing that the previous thrust had managed to open a minuscule hole in the door the Claymore decided to place the tip of her weapon inside it. After some seconds of careful movement she managed to get a firm grip and started to use her lodged sword as a lever. The door groaned but didn't budged. Lena increased her yoki by 20%, multiplying her muscle mass and changing the color of her eyes. This time the door groaned noticeably but still held firm. Lena then went straight to 50% yoki power, changing every part of her body and using all her strength in one single push. A loud snap echoed trough the area and the door opened so fast that Lena lost her footing and ended face down the floor with an audible thud.

Stunned, for a second Lena remained still and massaged her head, but immediately rose back to her feet when he gave a glance at the room she had just opened. Floor, lights and walls were made of the same material of the previous room, but this one was much smaller and much more furnished: an assortment of strange metal boxes and weird illuminated panels were strapped in one of the walls; they were lifeless and firmly shut, and Lena ad honestly no idea about their working principles let alone how they worked. Two huge beds covered in soft layers of what appeared to be silk occupied most of the remaining free space. Pills and other strange minuscule spheres were rolling everywhere on the floor forcing Lena to be very careful about her movements. All of these discoveries excited the Claymore like a little schoolgirl and for half an hour Lena broke every single door of the construction and explored the place inch by inch, discovering the most wondrous things and the most mysterious objects, from glowing sticks to talking boxes. Only the helm's door, heavily fortified and protected by a strange sparkly wall, managed to finally stop her and just barely.

-This place is a maze full of marvels!- thought Lena while exiting from the ship and going back to Raina, her head still dazed by all the wonders she had discovered.

-Smokeless lights, unknowns alloys, strange contraptions, lightning coming from the doors. How in the twin goddesses was all of this possible? Miria and the others must be warned about this place!-

Back to the camp Lena noticed that her guest was still sleeping and simply let him be and decided to share all the wondrous discoveries she had just witnessed with her daughter. The child looked at Lena with open eyes after hearing what her mother had just found inside the strange house fallen from the sky, but soon lost her focus because of the lack of sleep. Lena noticed this and immediately stopped recounting her tale and instead embraced her in a tender hug

"You are tired Raina. It is ok; you are still a child after all, and all this mess made you skip a lot of sleep. Come here."

Raina happily accepted the offer and immediately reciprocated the hug with a tender and tired smile. Only two seconds and she was already sleeping. Her tender frame peacefully resting on Lena's lap. Lena smiled and used her cape to cover the young child while preparing to a long night of sentry duty. As a Claymore she could avoid sleeping for days so she was fine and besides, she loved seeing Raina sleeping. She was so adorable.

Many people were still surprised by the fact that Lena of all people possessed such a maternal side inside of her and, to be honest, the most surprised of all had been Lena herself for a time. She, the coldest and most apathetic Claymore of her generation, a tender and loving mum!

She still remembered the first day she got stuck with Raina. She was one of the few children not accepted by neither the church nor normal people and so forced to live day by day with different Claymores until a more definitive systemization could be found. In the first day Lena almost lashed out and her companions: she had to babysit a snotty and whining brat for days only because no one wanted her?! What in the goddesses names was Anastasia thinking? Unfortunately her friend showed to be irremovable, so when the day after informing her she came back with Raina Lena didn't immediately kicked her out, but come very close of doing it. And yet, only after ten days, the beauty charmed the beast.

All the Claymores tried to discover how the little girl managed to "tame the wolf". A case of opposite attraction maybe, said some; a change of heart, said others; Helen simply commented that growing fond of young orphans had to be some kind of tradition for cranky Claymores, a little gibe aimed clearly at Claire. Lena smiled in remembering that period of her life; they were all out of the road. The simple truth was that Raina managed to worm her way inside her heart by doing something that no one had ever dared to do to her. It happened the second day of their forced coexistence; they were both walking near the outskirt of Rabona; a friendly walk if not for the fact that Lena actively tried to outpace the little child without even deign her of a word. All of a sudden Raina began screaming something and quickly went near one of the many trees that littered the landscape, and pointed at something near it. It was a small bird, probably a chick fallen from the nest. Raina asked her to bring it back to the nest but Lena simply scoffed at the idea. Now she had to also play the little bird savior? Like hell! The chick was unimportant and the brat had better get on with it. Raina begged and begged, and when she noticed that her guide would not have moved an inch for the small chick she did the impossible: she accused Lena of being a pathetic coward no better than the organization men and decided to do it by herself. Lena for the first time of her time remained speechless and simply looked at the small child, barely half her size, started climbing the tall and slippery tree with grim determination. Dozens of times the little girl tumbled down, incapable to get a proper grip, and every time she rose back and tried once again, ignoring cuts and bruises. Only when the Claymore heard a broken bone did she decided to intervene, and when she did her eyes watched the little, frail girl with a new light. Snotty, whining, naive….but so damn brave.

She could respect that.

The chick was placed back in its right place, and the incident quickly forgotten, and yet, day after day, Lena discovered that she could not stay away from the little brat for long. She wanted to stay with her, train her, look for her. Her bravery, her stubbornness, even her naivety stopped being a nuisance and become marvelous traits. The little thief had managed to steal her heart. From that moment her maternal instinct toward Raina skyrocketed so much that some warriors started to be worried about her: she became so attached to her that the only idea of leaving her became unacceptable, and everyone still remembered the day when a merchant slapped Raina for not letting him pass and ended up having all his bones shattered by an enraged Claymore.

Raina really had changed Lena, to the point that if someone would have tried to take her away from her, human or otherwise, the Claymore's reaction would have been nothing less than a massacre.

* * *

Borders near alphonse. Seven hours later.

-And now where am I?- asked a tired Aran to no one in particular. The last thing he remembered was the ugly face of that monster near him, its horrible hands near his neck, the lack of breath quickly followed by dizziness and nausea. He remembered fainting inside a giant worm-hole and then….nothing. No noise, no odor, nothing. He was stuck in some kind of a giant limbo, and apparently incapable to come out.

"If this is the hell, I am quite deluded." said Aran out loud "It lacks its spunk." Naturally no one answered him

"Ah whatever!" Dead or not, did it ever mattered. He was already condemned after all thanks to that bastard of T'Von! At this point every place was as good as any so why bother. He had lived a funny life. A bit short but interesting.

The, all of a sudden, an out of tune noise interrupted his quiet reasoning. It was a strange sound, like a continuous beep. Intrigued, Aran stopped his trail of thinking and investigated about the strange noise; he knew that sound, he was sure about that.

-What is it?- mused Aran trying to remember. All of a sudden a revelation it his brain, a very preoccupied one.

-Fuck! Is the medical interface! But if it is blipping, then it means that…

An improvise jolt of electricity suddenly enveloped Aran making him quiver in pain. Aran screamed like he had never done before while the world all around him burned and died. A blinding light lashed out at him ripping him out from that comforting darkness, dragging him away to unknown places. The pain became unbearable….and all of a sudden he was awake once again. He was a shacking mess, the beating he had previously received united to the huge doses of electricity and meds that his IV interface just used to awaken him had played hard on his body. He felt the need to trow up, his veins were on fire and his vision was still hampered by strange black spots, but at least he was alive. Sun rays grazed his body, a clear sign that he remained unconscious for at least the entire night.

"Fucking hell this hurt!" cursed Aran out loud

"Mind your manners, stranger" said an unknown voice behind him "Do not sully my daughter's ears with such vulgar words."

Aran immediately turned over in the direction of the voice, and for the second in just some hours this god-forsaken planet managed to surprise him. Next to him an human girl barely twenty five years old was looking at him with beautiful silver eyes. She was breathtaking: white skin, slender form, perky breast and angelic face. She was dressed with a full grey and green baggy suit made by some kind of coarse cloth that really did not complement such a fine body, but what was really out of place was the giant two handed sword strapped on her back. Seriously, how could humans live here off all places, and why of all the weapons on the galaxy a bloody sword?

On her lap a small child, probably seven years old, gently slept on her lap. The two were clearly related: they had the same blonde hairs and fair skin and besides, the child's sleeping face was so peaceful, so happy. The gaze of a child being with her mother.

Saying that Aran was confused was a massive understatement.

"What? Who? How?" asked a flabbergasted Aran

"You killed three yomas, but the fourth one was about to kill you. Luckily I managed to save and drag you away from them. I am called Lena by the way; silver eyed warrior. Who are you?" said the girl with monotonous voice

"What do you mean who am I girl?" spat Aran "An human like you. Is this not enough right now?"

The girl laughed at these words. A sad, weak laugher.

"Now I am sure that you are not from this place, if not from the island at all! Your armor is as ornate as a ceremonial one, yet judging by the yoma's claw I found lodged in your armor, it is much stronger than it looks. You do not even know what am I, not counting that giant….thing fallen from the sky that i'm guessing is yours, so I ask again. Who are you?"

Aran did not answered immediately, all his fugitive senses now active and screaming at him. A strange and honestly cute but creepy girl armed with a massive sword was interrogating him. For a moment the smuggler though about not answering the question, but something in the girl's gaze made him reject this idea. Straight lying to her was another no no; the girl was clearly not stupid so tricking her was out of the question. Saying a lie covered by some grains of truth and gain some time until he managed to discover how in the hell was possible that an human population was living here of all places, or simply decided to escape away from this madness? Seems fine to him.

"My name is Aran, girl, and I am a courier." started saying Aran "I am not from here as you have noticed. I come from a big continent placed on the east from your island. Long story short in the place where I come from there are many organizations knowledgeable in machinery and biology. One of such organizations paid me to pilot that flying prototype, but something went wrong during the travel and now I am here." The girl's eyes narrowed dangerously and a scowl crept on her face after hearing the explanation.

"This organization you are talking about, is the one expert In the mysteries of life? Describe me the appearances of their employees!"

"What? Why are you asking about them?" asked Aran surprised

"Were they dressed in black?" Continued the girl imperterred. Aran launched at her an exasperated glance: all of this interest was not in the plan.

"Listen lady, it is clear that you have some grudge against some black robed idiots but I do not know if my supervisors and them are the same person, so stop looking at me as if I was some kind of bastard that want to stab you in the back. I'm just a small cog in a very complex machine. A cog that, by the way, really want to simply go back at home right now."

The strange girl looked at him, her mind clearly at work trying to decipher his baked lie. She did not believed him, not entirely, but she seems to at least partially accept his explanation.

"You must come with me." finally said with a firm tone. Aran almost chocked in his breath.

"Excuse me?"

"You must come with me" repeated the girl "You are not from this land, you clearly do not know where you go, unless your bosses almost managed to created a device capable of scanning an entire continent in an heartbeat. This island is much safer that it was just one year ago, but bandits, yomas and even more dangerous creatures still roam his countryside, especially here in the northern part. We shall go to Rabona, one of the biggest city on the island. Here you shall find all you need to repair your ship and will talk to a companion of mine about this strange -organization-" this word was spat out by the girl with venom "In one week I am sure you will be fine and ready to come back."

-Hell no- thought Aran -I am NOT leaving the ship!-

"But I cannot leave my ship here unprotected!" protested Aran trying to find a way out

"At least give me one day to make some essentials repairs! I am not asking for much!"

The girl did not answer immediately, clearly considering the proposition.

"Fine. Go make your emergency repairs. I while forage some provisions for the journey."

-Thanks fuck for small mercies- thanked Aran in his mind. He immediately went up from his post and went toward his ship grateful to have at least some time to think about how to go out from this strange situation. Just a second before disappearing from her sight Lena's voice reached him

"Oh about your ship, I have explored it and probably broken some of the internal doors by forcing them open. Had to do it, all the handlers were disappeared for some reason. Is this a big problem."

Aran almost stumbled on his feet. That girl opened the internal doors with her bare hands? Impossible! All starship doors, regardless of the types of ship, were able to resist pressures superior to 1200 pascal at the very least! The Krogan were the only creatures capable of such a feat.

"No no" quickly answered "It is not a big problem do not worry. See you later Lena." In truth Aran's mind was a boiling bog of ideas and thoughts. If everything the girl had said to him was true, then for some reason in this god-forsaken planets there were monstrous creatures capable of giving a run to their money even of entire mercenary bands, and one of such creature had just saved him. But in this case that girl, Lena, was much more than his savior; T'Von was actively searching a new kind of gladiator, something capable to leave a mark in the fighting arenas of the underworld, and he had just found a sword-wielding human thing stronger than any Krogan and totally devoid of biotic abilities.

-I need to check the ship's data logs.- though Aran after entering inside the ship and running toward the helm. He immediately noticed the damage suffered by the internal doors, they were all yanked open, and when he reached the helm and found the camera recordings of the last shift his eyes bulged in surprise. The recordings showed the girl opening every door of the ship using only her giant sword and sheer muscle mass. It was almost unbelievable and when the recording showed the girl hitting the infirmary's floor with her head after using too much force opening it Aran quickly went to the infirmary and collected some campions of dried blood so that the computer could analyze them. Only after doing all this chores Aran started reorganizing his ship and repairing all the damaged system. For the first time in days a small smile crept his face: he had finally found what he was looking for


	3. Chapter 3 betrayal and uncertainty

Chapter 3

 **Betrayal and uncertainty**

 **So, chapter three. I fear I will have to slow down at least a bit for a while. University exams and stuff like that. Anyway let's not annoy the public with my problems and let's immediately go to the story**

 **As always I do not possess anything etcetera etcetera and I am not gaining a single penny from this.**

 **Have a good reading.**

 **Unknown planet, three hours after Aran's discussion with Lena**

The external sensors of the ship flared into life, warning Aran that someone was coming near his vessel but this time the smuggler did not freaked out like the last time, because he immediately recognized the newcomers. They were Lena and the child, Raina. The child was positively glowering like a kid near an all you can eat buffet made of sweets while Lena was carrying on her back what looked like a decapitated deer of all creatures!

-How in the flying fuck is this possible?- asked Aran to himself -A deer? In an uncharted planet?- But such thoughts were quickly casted aside by Aran. He was not here for uncovering mysteries.

-Let's just go and greet them.-

The ship at this point was mostly repaired: the engines were fully functional, the deck clean and in pristine conditions and all the door controls again operational. The old lady, as Aran affectionally called his ship, was back in perfect shape and the analysis of her guest's blood was coming along nicely! Now he only needed to re ordinate all the scattered weapons and tools and to gain some time and deal with his new guests.

"Hello ladies!" Aran greeted them at the entrance of the ship with a huge smile plastered on his face "Glad you have finally made it and nice catch Lena! We will feast tonight!"

Lena simply acknowledged the compliment with a small nod but the child hugged Lena's arm in pride

"Mum is the best huntress of the island! Didn't you know stellar sir?" said Raina with a smile.

"Raina!" Lena scolded "It is rude to give nicknames to people, unless they are close friends. As I said his name is Aran." Aran laughed after hearing this small banter.

"No problem Lena!" quickly said Aran "Children will always be children and I am not offended. Come on, let's go inside. I have already repaired most of the ship; there are some little things here and there that I have to check but I am sure that tomorrow we will be able to depart for that Rabona you were talking about."

"Good" said Lena pleased by the notice "Then I will busy myself skinning and preparing the dinner that I have left out of your ship. I hope you do not mind roasted deer."

"I'm fine with that. Coming to you in a second!" replied Aran with a smile and resumed his work. After half an hour of work all his weapons, save a pistol on placed on his hip, were back on their respective lockers and well sealed and a delicious smell of cooked meat started invading the entire ship trough the external door. It was almost dusk once again when Aran finally went out from his ship, tired, sweaty but for the first time in days happy. The broken bodies of the four yomas had been dragged away by Lena and burned down in a bonfire some meters away from the ship, leaving only some purple stains on the terrain marking their passing. A large campfire surrounded by rocks had been prepared by Lena and Raina and large parts of the recently hunted deer were slowly roasting atop the roaring fire while his pelt hung near a home made wooden framework. The child, Raina, was playing with a piece of horn while Lena checked the meat once in a while and tended to her enormous sword with a sharpening stone. Next to them a small pile of dried wood was had been neatly stacked in a square, ready to be used during the night.

"Do you want to keep that pelt as a blanket?" Asked Aran while sitting near the campfire and waiting for the meat to be properly roasted.

"Yes, for Raina." simply answered Lena while tasting a morsel of the meat with her naked finger. How she managed to do it without burning her skin was a mystery for Aran.

"It is ready Aran." answered Lena after tearing a piece of it with a knife and giving it to Raina that happily started devouring.

"Take the piece you prefer."

"You are not eating?" asked a curious Aran. The girl simply smiled at him.

"You really have not any idea of what I truly am. Do not worry and just eat. I have already had my fill for today."

"But you have barely touched the deer!" replied an astonished Aran "You wanna make me believe that a simple taste is all you need?"

The girl sighted and stopped sharpening her sword

"Aran" said Lena with a quiet but commanding voice "Look at my eyes."

Aran did as ordered wondering what was the reason of such command. Not that he did mind looking at the girl's marvelous eyes, with their round pupils and golden irises….

wait, golden?

-What the hell?- thought Aran checking Lena's eyes and what he saw left him speechless: her once marvelous, human and silver eyes were now colored with a golden hue and possessed cat-like pupils. Veins started bulging near her face along with new muscles inside all her body. The transformation had occurred in less than a second and made Lena look more like one of the deranged creature previously killed rather than a normal girl but strangely the child did not looked scared in the slightest, only a bit annoyed.

"How….how...what are you Lena?" asked a flabbergasted Aran after finally rediscovering how to speak once again. The meat, at this point forgotten, laid down next to him at the mercy of the insects of the forest and for a second his hand grasped instinctively the butt of her pistol on his hip. Such fear however was unjustified, and the bestial transformation receded as fast as had emerged from the girl's face.

"Now you see?" said simply Lena at Aran without losing her composure after seeing the smuggler's reaction "People call me and my companions Claymore, in memory of our giant sword we use to hunt yoma and even worse creatures. This strength come from the fact that we Claymores have the flesh and the blood of a Yoma inside our bodies, something that make us tremendously powerful warrior but also totally change our bodies and souls. I can cut a tree with a single strike, move faster than a bird, eat a morsel of food and be filled for a day and regenerate lost limbs on a whim, but in exchange I have lost my humanity."

"This is not true!" cried Raina intervening in the discussion "We are not soulless monsters mum! You are not a soulless monster! Even the clergy and most of the people of Rabona now understand this, so why do you keep saying such ugly words mum?" The child was on the verge of tearing up and this prompted Lena to embrace her and whisper sweet words on her ears, giving Aran time to think. Judging by Lena's word her case was akin to medical manipulation. Someone had somehow found these creatures, these yomas, in this planet and discovered a way to mix them with normal human with interesting effect. It still did not explain the presence of fauna and flora native to Earth here of all places or the almost non existent level of technology but these were mere details at the moment.

"Are you the strongest one among your companions?" asked Aran prying information from her guest

"Me?" answered Lena "Oh no I am not! Not by a long shot! Do not get me wrong I am quite good when it comes to fighting, good enough to give the single-digit warriors a run for their money, but I still remain an average Claymore compared to many others. I cannot, for example, move so fast than everyone's eyes cannot catch you, or flying trough the battlefield without the need of wings. I Have a special ability, but right now it is unimportant. If you want more proofs, here" she lent him her enormous great sword. Aran tried to raise it but instead he almost tumbled down because of the enormous weight. Thankfully Lena was ready and quickly cached both him and the sword.

"It weight 20 kilograms at least and is quite difficult to use if you are not one of us."

"I see" reasoned Aran while catching his breath "And these abilities made you and your companions ill-received by the population?"

Lena's answer was a snort

"To put it very mildly Aran. I am surprised you are still here and not scared after knowing all of this."

"Well, I will lie to you by saying that I am not scared of you Lena" began answering Aran carefully measuring every word "But believe or not you are not the strangest thing I have seen in all my life. There are dozens of strange, bizarres creatures outside this island and this has educated me to not take everything for granted and also to accept, or at least trying to, other people for what they are. You are strange Lena, and dangerous, but I do not see you as the devil incarnate and, besides, I can defend myself better than you can think."

For once Aran was telling the whole truth: being a smuggler in the Terminus system meant that every single creature that he met, alien or otherwise, became at the smuggler's eyes a potential client or enemy (or merchandise some rare times) for him, no matter how hideous, brutal or insane they were. Why being racist or difficult when you can gain some credits after all?

The answer greatly pleased Lena that looked at Aran with surprised eyes. No one had ever talked to her in such a way, and she was relatively sure that his guest was not lying, at least not now.

"You are quite the openminded person Aran, is a shame that there are not many people like you. However right now we should focus on the meat before it overcook."

This phrase ratified the end of the discussion and both Raina and Aran wolfed down most of the meat all while Lena dried some of it for later and kept a watchful eyes for enemies. After a good half and our the deer had been thoroughly devoured and the fire almost burned out.

"Well, a better dinner than I though Lena. If you do not mind now I will re enter inside my ship and take a long nap. Wanna enter along with your daughter?"

"Thanks for the offer" politely answered Lena "But I saw only a single bed room during my exploration and I do not want to be a burden to you."

"Oh but this will not be a problem, I will simply sleep in the bed of the infirmary for this night."

-And find a way to subdue and wrap you in a nice package for T'Von in the meantime, my dear life saver.- concluded Aran in his mind

"If that is the case" then said Lena "Lead the way Aran, is your ship after all."

The trio went up and moved inside the ship, reaching after a brief walking Aran's bed room. For the entire stroll Raina admired the interior of the ship in marvel and asked non stop dozens of questions about his nature and how had it ben built, something that amused to no end Aran, and when they finally reached the bed room and Aran showed them how some systems like the lights worked both the girls looked at him as he was some sort of magician coming from the sky. Raina even started bouncing like a little kangaroo in pure glee.

"This is amazing mum!" said an amazed Raina "Smokeless lights, metal walls, a bed with silken blankets. I feel like a princess inside a castle!"

"It is quite luxurious." admitted Lena with a small grin "Thanks Aran. I will make sure to leave everything unspoiled."

"Do not worry about that" answered Aran with a shrug "Good night ladies, see you tomorrow." The smuggler left the two girl and went toward the infirmary. The last thing he heart from them was the voice of Raina asking if Lena could

"Buy the magic shiny light for her." followed by a sharp no!

-Children!- though Aran idly.

When the smuggler entered inside the infirmary he immediately closed the doors and activate trough his omni-tool a particular camera placed inside his bed room, making sure to be warned in case on of his guest decided to walk away without telling him. Satisfied with these precaution Aran started checking the analysis did by the computer. What he found was a confirmation of what Lena had said to him just one hour ago and the smuggler almost bounced with joy: Lena's blood showed various genetic mutations similar to ones that the young smuggler had seen inside some really fucked up Krogan warlords of the Blood Pact; increased cellular regrowth, increased strength, new particles never seen inside a normal human body and last but not least some kind of dark red viscous substance that flowed alongside with her blood and seemed to have the capability to force the blood to be pumped faster inside her body.

Whoever had made such a work inside Lena's body, judging only by this preliminary analysis of his quite weak computer, was a genius; or a mad man. Probably both.

-But this madness will save me- though Aran on cloud nine -Now how can I incapacitate her?-

This proved to be quite the challenge: Aran tried dozens of simulations in the course of two hours, trying every possible tranquilizer that he possessed inside his ship's storage room but every single one of them ended up literally devoured in less than ten seconds by an immune system even stronger than a krogan's one! Aran was not a biologist so he did not even tried to modify one of his tranquilizers substances, opting instead for using a poison and forcing the girl's body to stop somehow, even at the cost of killing her if necessary. After all Lena had just said to him that there were others like her in this planet so in case of the worst possible scenario he would have simply found another of this -Claymore- in that Rabona city she was talking about and brewed a plan to fetch another one.

After two other hours of long research Aran finally found what he was looking on: a particular toxin molecule fashioned by the Hanars and, luckily, in his possession. Aran had after all bought every single poison and tranquilizer even existent in the galaxy in preparation of such a task. The toxin was strong enough to be diffused trough air and he possessed enough of such substance to flood the entire ship whit it, something that Aran immediately decided to do after remembering how strong was Lena. Better be safe than sorry after all.

Aran looked at the watch and the camera installed inside his omni-tool, it was half past two a.m. and both her guests were deeply sleeping inside the room, Raina in the bed covered with blankets and Lena near one of the walls using her giant sword as a pillar and support for some reason. They were both unaware of his plans and Aran wanted to be sure it remained that way. Slowly, making sure to make no loud noise, Aran walked inside the engine room and clocked a button in his omni-tool. In response a panel of the room quickly and silently moved back to show a peculiar room impossible to find with conventional scans, his own storage hall where he stockpiled what he needed to smuggle. It was a small quadrangularly shaped room entirely covered in titanium and distorters, dimly illuminated and devoid of any furniture. Right now it was mostly empty, just some boxes filled with ammunitions and poisons in a corner and five cages placed in the center. They were standard cages used by batarian slavers, made with reinforced steel and barely able to contain a grown man. Inside each of them two pairs of manacles were ready to restrain whatever unlucky person ended up inside them in a vice grip and keep them pinned on the cage's floor. Aran quickly prepared one of said cages and took a gas mask and a five vials filled with a purple liquid, the toxin he wanted to use it. He then quickly went to the helm's room, the only one possessing an armored door that Lena was apparently unable to break open and sealed himself inside it.

Sweat was now copiously falling down from his face; he was about to finally be able to come back from T'Von, assuming that everything would have worked as intended, and maybe even became rich! That bastard of a Turian had told him that he would have handsomely payed him in case of success.

Aran opened the interface of the vital support and injected two of the vials full of toxins inside it.

"Warning, the substance just injected is highly dangerous. Proceed with circulation anyway?" said the computer's monotonous voice.

-Of course baby!- though Aran while putting on the gas mask. He clicked the button and the toxin immediately started flooding the ship. A second later he blocked every single door inside the ship.

* * *

Lena immediately opened her eyes in fear, all the cells of her body screaming at her that something wasn't right! For the Claymore it felt like she had closed her eyes just a moment ago; with her daughter so excited that almost refused to sleep and her own curiosity that made her remain awake for a big part of the night thinking about this Aran person that he had just met Lena found herself passing dozens of minutes reflecting about the recent events. There was something fishy in Aran, the way he refused to talk about how he managed to kill three yoma by himself and the strange glint that he spotted in his eyes when he thought she was not looking at him were quite strange and honestly disturbing. In another circumstances Lena would not have accepted his offer of sleeping inside his strange ship, but these were hardly normal circumstances and Lena reasoned that if the construct where she was currently sleeping was truly a ship (and after seeing all the marvel inside it she decided to be cautious about it) then she could not afford to lose Aran not even for a second. Besides when Lena offered him her great-sword she in truth did this just to check if Aran was stronger than he looked, an experiment that ended in a big no. He was a simple human, so what was his secret and how could he stop an experienced Claymore like her?

Lena went up immediately scanning the room in search of something amiss. The place was spotless, Raina was sleeping peacefully in the bed and the sword behind her. The only thing slightly out of place was the air, strangely thick.

-Maybe the air is now stale because there is not a single window inside this room?- though Lena slightly worried

-Maybe I should open the door just to be sure.-

The Claymore went toward the door but all of a sudden she tripped on her own leg and fall down flat on her face with an audible thud.

-What in the goddesses's name- Cursed Lena while trying to stand up again only to discover that her lung had just stopped working!

-Shit, shit, shit!- cried silently Lena in rage and pain – Poison! But I am Claymore for the goddesses's sake! I cannot be defeated by a simple poison!- The girl flooded her body with yoki in the desperate attempt to forcefully open her lungs and defeat the toxin that was killing her but to her astonishment despite increasing her yoki percentage to 40% her lungs remained firmly shut! Whatever poison was now flooding the room was able to bypass her yoki powers, albeit at a slow rate.

His body started becoming heavy and weak and strange black dots appeared on her eyesight. She was quickly becoming too weak to move, let alone fight back.

"No….i must not….fall asleep." she said in a weak, hoarse voice while desperately trying to use her arms as canes. With a titanic effort Lena managed to come back on her feet and reached the door with small, wobbling steps. The door was barely one meter away but for Lena felt as if they were hundreds. When he finally reached it shaky fingers tried desperately to open it, only to discover that said door was firmly shut! If she still had some doubts about Aran's treachery now there were none. The door had been left wide open before she went to sleep.

The poison had at this point invaded the room, blocking the view and shrouding the entire room with a heavy, green mist. Lena felt something stumbling down on the floor and a faint voice calling for her

"Mum" it was barely audible but it was clear who was the owner of the voice and this managed to let Lena enter in a frenzy.

"You will not kill my daughter you bastard." roared Lena with newfound strength. Without hesitation the girl reached the 70% of yoki power and started pummeling the steel door with every ounce of strength she got. The door buckled and groaned under the brutal pressure while the toxin fought against enormous quantities of yoki coupled with sheer stubbornness.

A particular heavy blow destroyed part of the external layer of the door along with most of Lena's left fist skin, showing dented metal and strange cables and Lena immediately grabbed the now partially broken door with both hands and started pulling with all the strength she possessed, making the metal groan and creak under the unexpected pressure. Thirty agonizing seconds passed before the door collapsed with an audible snap and fell down along with the now heavily mutated Claymore and an animalistic howl of joy erupted from the girl's tortured lung. Such howl was short lived when Lena noticed that the strange green mist had also invaded the corridor of the ship, meaning that all her effort had only allowed more poison to enter inside the room. That proved to be the last nail in the coffin for Lena, and the entirety of her body simply stopped working while the yoki previously recalled receded inside her soul, incapable to maintain the fight against the venom that was killing her lungs. Lena defiantly tried to crawl away from the corridor but the arms refused to respond.

"This….is the….end." whispered a defeated Lena "Raina….Anastasia….i'm….sorry."

After a last, raspy squeal Lena's body finally slumped down, her brain turned off. She had been defeated.

* * *

"Yes, fucking YES!" cried a super happy Aran inside the helm's room. The entire ordeal lasted less than three minutes, but they had been the longest minutes of Aran's life as long as the smuggler was concerned. The computer had estimated that Lena would have lasted for less than one minutes under the attack of so many toxic agents and would not have been able to move in any way, shape or form. Instead the girl had endured the attack on her lungs for three long minutes and somehow managed to utterly destroy the bed room door using only her bare fists! The cameras had recorded the face of the girl some seconds before collapsing down and Aran could genuinely say that the mutated aspect of Lena was one of the scariest things he had seen in his entire life! She appeared more similar to a raving beast than a human being. Thankfully she was now properly sedated but still alive, ready to be shipped away from this strange planet and brought back to T'Von in a nice package like a christmas gift, the poison had in fact managed only to make her faint without killing her; a testament of the girl's resistance.

Aran quickly vented outside of the ship the remaining poison still lingering inside the system and quickly went to the place where Lena had fainted. She quickly found her, lying powerless and beautiful near the broken remains of the door, barely breathing. The view of the girl that had saved him just one day ago in such a state almost managed to made him reconsider his idea of placing in one of the cage but Aran's callous brain quickly squashed this thought. It was too late to reconsider what he had done. Just a second before dragging the unconscious body of the Claymore toward her new cell Aran noticed something else: the child was also still alive; she was also barely breathing and in pain, but alive.

"Now what to do with her?" mused Aran. He could trow her out of the ship and leave her to die in the wilderness, practically condemning her to death. She could also shoot at her and be done with it. Both ideas were quickly dismissed when Aran remembered about the insane display of strength just showed by Lena and devised a way to keep her quiet during the travel. A way that involved the child.

Aran quickly dragged both the child and Lena inside his storage area and locked them inside two cages far away from each other. Heavy strap were placed in their ankles and wrists, making sure that escape was impossible for both of them and when Aran felt sure about his work he began modifying the cage where he had placed Raina. It was not a complicate modification, just placing a few cables here and here, and establishing a wi-fi connection with Lena's cage in such a way that if Lena would have tried to break the manacles holding her in place with her superior force a jolt of electricity would have it the child's body. If Lena really cared about that child as much as she shoved during these hours then she would not have dared to test the limit of this security measure.

After half an hour of diligent work Aran had finally finished securing both his new prisoners in the way he wanted, all without having any of them awakening. Their vitals were still stable though and that was all Aran cared right now.

-I did it!- kept repeating his over excited brain -I finally did it! I can go back to Omega and save my arse!-

He even took a bottle of whisky from his personal storage place before re entering inside the helm's room.

"Well, these were an interesting couple of days." said Aran before reaching the control panel of the helm "But now it is time to go. To you Aran!" he uncorked the bottle of whisky and drank a long sip from it "The luckiest bastard in the Terminus Systems!"

He then placed the bottle away from him and started the engine sequence of the ship, that answered his commands with a low and reassuring hum. He was ready to depart

"Farewell insane planet! Thanks for the gift!"

With a thunderous rumble the small ship activate its engines and slowly departed from the ground, scorching and destroying anything near its positions. For some, long seconds the ship remained still, kept flying just above the trees thanks to its potent thrusters; then after a loud and sudden roar the ship raised itself and flied with blinding speed toward the sky.

The only things left behind it were a burned out deer pelt, a big crater, some still-burning trees and patches of charred bushes. No one would have ever managed to guess what truly happened down here.

 **Inside Aran's ship. Some hours later**

"Oh goddesses! My head!" groaned a very dazed and tired Lena. Foggy eyes tried to focus once again and tired limbs stretched themselves in a vain attempt to regain some form of sensibility...or at least they tried to do it and got stopped by a rattling sound and a force that pinned them in place.

"What the hell!" said a stupefied Lena, now totally awake and conscious. She tried once again to free her limbs from whatever was keeping them in place but once again failed and this time her dazed eyes noticed why: a pair of strong manacles were tightly wrapped around both her wrist; her ankles were suffering of the same problem effectively pinning her on the floor and, after taking a quickly look on her surrounding, Lena noticed that she was also looked inside a cage!

Memories of everything that had just happened crashed inside with the strength of raging bull: the meeting of Aran, the small chats, the offering of sleeping inside the ship, the green poison running throughout the ship…..she had been fooled and now she was a prisoner!

-Fucking bastard!- cursed Lena under her breath -I should have knocked him out and drag him to Rabona in the first place!-

Lena had never managed to discover this particular part of Aran's ship, so despite looking left and right (a rather difficult task considering that the manacles forced her to remain in a supine position) she did not managed to understand where she was; the lack of illumination did not helped her either. One thing that Lena noticed however was the fact that the room was slightly shuddering, as if moving throughout the sea or a very flat and smooth terrain. So Aran's construct was some kind of ship after all.

Lena was still trying to understand where she was when a small whimper stopped Lena's investigation, a child whimper coming from another cage far away from her. Lena's blood frozen on the spot: she knew that voice.

"Raina! Is that you?" cried a worried Lena while trying desperately to stand up as much as possible despite her current prediction.

"Mum….what is going on mum? Where are we? Why are we chained? Where is Mr Aran?! I am scared!" cried Raina clearly on the verge of tearing up. Lena snarled after hearing these words; now Aran had done it: kidnapping her was one thing, but kidnapping also her daughter and making her weep in fear was unacceptable!

-Aran, pray whatever cursed gods you believe that they kill you right now, because when I shall manage to free myself I will find you and I will make you regret being alive.- thought Lena with rage.

"Stay calm Raina, these chains cannot hold a Claymore like me. Soon I will be free and ready to assist you, just hold on!" said Lena with conviction. Her word managed to calm down Raina, albeit just barely. Lena on the other hand immediately started working on the chains that were keeping her down. Small quantities of yoki started flowing inside her veins, making them bulge and brim with power. Both wrist manacles started groaning when Lena's yoki infused wrists started applying pressure on the metal, and a small smile creeped on Lena's face; soon she would have been free from the manacles and ready to destroy the cage with her bare hands, the metal was already giving up. Just another push and

"Aaaaaahh!" screamed Raina in pure agony. Lena immediately stopped her work and looked at her daughter's direction in fear. What was going on?

"Raina! What is the matter? Please answer me!" asked a terrorized Lena

"The chain" answered Raina between agonizing breaths "The chains are hurting me!"

"What, how is this possible?!" asked to no one in particular a dismayed Lena. How could a chain actively hurt a person? It was impossible! Nothing short of witchcraft!

An ever more worried Lena started tugging the manacles with even greater strength, not caring with finesse and only wishing to be quickly free but just when the metal was again on the verge of breaking down Raina screamed once again, this time even more violently.

"Mum" said Raina inside her cage "The chains hurt me every time you force your bonds."

"You cannot be serious Raina, this is not possible!" replied a dismayed Lena

"But they are! Two times you tried to free yourself and two times the chains attacked me!"

Lena did not want to believe such a think, but the truth was that she knew nothing about Aran and this strange ship despite her research. Had not Aran said just some hours ago that he was much more dangerous than he looked? And if they were really inside a flying ship then maybe that bastard could also animate chains and order them to attack people.

-This mean that I cannot free myself, unless I want to put Raina's life on the line.- bitterly concluded Lena. Aran had really thought of everything.

"If what you say is true" said Lena with a broken voice "Then I cannot free myself Raina. I am sorry."

It was too much for the poor child that immediately had a meltdown and started crying without stop, a sound that broke Lena's heart in thousands of pieces.

"What will happen to us now mum? What are we gonna do?" asked a desperate Raina between sobs.

"I do not know" answered Lena with a hair's breath "By the twin goddesses I do not know."

 **So…..third chapter. I hope I have managed to satisfy even a single person with my story. For whoever is curios I decided to create my own Claymore because the known ones are**

 **A: too strong or too weak (Seriously Miria at the end of the Manga is a one-man army while the most of the other of the latest generations are quite….pathetic, albeit with some notable exceptions like Anastasia)**

 **B: they have their own characterization and this force me to follow a certain behavioral pattern. I am not so good at writing, especially in a foreign language. An OC grant me much more freedom.**

 **Lena, for the record, is a defensive type and her special ability is….a surprise.**

 **Hint: in a way is similar to Dauff's body**


	4. Chapter 4 new masters, old slavery

**Chapter 4**

 **new masters, old slavery**

 **Chapter four. Soon Shepard's meeting.**

 **As always I do not own etcetera etcetera….**

 **T'von own personal quarters. 29 January 2183. 7 32 local hour**

"These are….very interesting videos, my dear associate." said a very intrigued and amused T'von after looking at the content recorded inside Aran's omni-tool and the smuggler's hope of survival skyrocketed after hearing such a phrase. The return's trip to Omega had lasted five hours because of the distance of the space station from the unknown planet he ended up; a long time, even with the mass effect relays, a time that passed in religious silence with Aran interchanging between watching trough a camera Lena's reaction and driving the ship, and Lena and Raina trying to get some sleep and be ready for whatever was in store for them.

The first thing Aran had done after reaching orbit was sending a message to one of T'von's associates, a certain Salarian called Illish, containing four single words.

I have found it.

So when Aran entered inside the enormous space station's hangars he was not surprised to see at least two dozens of mercenaries with Aria's insignias waiting for him near the exit. What he did not expected was to be invited inside T'von's chamber instead of simply dropping them his cargo and be done with this story. The guards had been quite adamant about their orders, and half a dozen of them even remained next to the ship with the explicit order to kill whoever only tried to take a peek inside it.

Aran's welcome this time was quite different from the last: instead of dozens of mercenaries and torturers, or simply be forced to be chained to a chair, the young smuggler found a beaming T'Von formally dressed in black and white robe and a bottle of Asari's brandy almost five hundred years old along with crystal glasses ready to be filled.

"Aran! My boy!" greeted him T'von with a roaring voice "I knew you would have been able to pull this trough! Although I am quite curios to know what kind of creature have you brought back from your travels. You remembered my orders, didn't you? No Krogan or Asari or biotic in general."

"I remembered them, mr T'Von, and I have not broken them. I think you will find the recording inside my Omni-tool quite interesting." had been Aran's secure answer. The viewing of such videos lasted almost half an hour, with T'Von looking at them in total silence and a focused face over and over, checking for hidden clues and possible tampering with the same calm that learned during his military career. His face was an unreadable mask, impossible to decipher and for some long, interminable moments, Aran feared that T'Von was finding his prize wanting and for a second considered about trying to run away, only to remember that just outside the door, assuming he could overpower with only his bare hand a full grown Turian, at least three guards were ready to attack.

So Aran's relief at hearing T'Von's satisfied words is quite understandable.

"So….are we fine?" asked timidly Aran hoping for the best "I deserve to live? Can I have my reward?"

"Not yet." answered T'Von with a smile that immediately sank all of Aran hopes in the gutter "The package you have brought with you is certainly interesting, I have never saw a human capable of doing what I am seeing, but I would like to have a chat with it and test it before buying it. Not that I do not trust you, with the poison still coursing inside your veins and the fact that you have not tampered the recordings, is just that gladiators need not only to be strong and fearless, but also to possess a great will and force of character and I am sure that a nice chat will help me understand if this peculiar human has what it takes to survive inside my arena."

"I understand, Mr T'Von." said Aran with a small sight, he was still not out of the woods yet "So when do you want to meet her?"

"Now. I will bring with me a dozen of my personal guards armed with stun ammunitions just to be sure."

"If I may, it would be better to bring also a translator device. The girl does not possess one so she will not understand you if you try to talk with her. A second thing, that girl is not alone; I have brought with me also her daughter and locked in another cell near her, I am using her to keep under control the mother."

"Really now?" questioned T'Von with a small smile "Keeping the Varren on a leash by using its pup? Good thinking from your part Aran, you have probably just gave me the lever to keep her under my command. I will give you an extra reward for this!"

T'Von want up from his chair and barked some orders next to his omni-tool, calling for Illish and his guards. In less than two minutes everyone was ready and the small company headed to Aran's ship. No one tried to stop them, T'Von was a face quite known inside the space station and generally no one on Omega is stupid enough to mess with a dozens of heavily armed soldiers.

"After all of this is finished, my dear Aran" said T'Von during the walk "You will receive three hundred thousand credits and privileged channels with most of the Eclipse' suppliers. After all you are the only one who has brought back to me something decent in a while."

Aran almost lost his footing after hearing the giant sum he was about to receive. Three hundred thousands credits! By god Lena, surprise the bastard please!

"Here we are." said Aran to his small company after entering inside the ship and showing his secret storage room "If you do not mind I prefer staying behind and not meeting her during your chat."

"If you really wish this." conceded T'Von "Wait here, I will be done in a minute."

-I have some doubts about that.- Though Aran with a small smile remembering the unusual power of her prisoner. Not that he really cared at this point.

* * *

Ten hours. Ten long and excruciatingly had passed since Lena awakened from his slumber only to discover that had nightmare had gripped both her and her daughter in an iron grip. The chamber where they were held was dark and cold, the manacles were bruising and injuring both their ankles and wrist and the chains were keeping them forcefully prone, but Lena was not scared: she was a Claymore, the organization had done much more terrible thing to her when she was only ten and still not managed to destroy her will; all of this was only annoying for her. She had to be strong, for her vengeance and for Raina. She only needed the right moment to strike and then…

"Mum." said Raina in a shaky voice interrupting her train of thought "That wall is opening." It was true, one of the section of the wall just some meters away from their cages was churning and retracting on itself without a noise, showing a large aperture from where a dazzling light temporarily blinded both Lena and Raina. Lena's ears counted at least twenty feet coming near her, and some kind of strange, striding sound never heart in all her life and her body instinctively accumulated small quantities of yoki, just enough to be ready to kill with her bare hand if necessary.

When her eyes accustomed themselves to the new light the Claymore for the first time in hours stopped thinking about her revenge only for staring in total disbelief and what she was seeing.

Twelve people were now inside the room. Ten were humans, both male and females, encased in medium armors made of polished steel similar to the one possessed by Aran and armed with strange, round and elaborate cudgels of various size and possessing a hole at their ends. None of them were wearing helmets, showing anonymous faces and easy to forget, but all of them were clearly some kind of military force. Mercenaries maybe, judging that every one of them had different themes painted in their armors. The other two creatures were bizarre in the extreme: one was a giant bird-like creature covered in black and white dress and almost two meters tall. His skin was beige, scaly and rough, and strange fringes adorned his long and alien face; two small, lizard-like eyes and bird like legs completed the image. The second was plain strange: barely one meter and half tall, his skin was dark green and opaque; its face was not round but elongated and ended with two cartilaginous horns; its eyes, enormous and toad-like, were looking at her with an unreadable expression. It was dressed with a white coat and one of his three fingered hand was holding a rectangular device smaller than a pinky. Both of them were not emitting the minimum shred of yoki energy so they were not yoma.

-What are those…..things?- asked a bewildered Lena to no one in general. They were so alien, but at the same time they were some kind of civilized creature judging by the way they were dressed. Maybe the famous dragons's descendants coming from beyond the island? Had she been brought so far away from home?

The strange bird-like creature said something in a guttural voice and, to Lena's astonishment, the humans understood him because one of them opened both Lena's and Raina's cells and started taking out the manacles that were keeping them in check. Raina was clearly terrorized but did nothing stupid as trying to struggle for Lena's relief. Lena did not acted in the beginning: she had to wait, wait until Raina was free from restraint; only then she would have attacked. After all Is the patient hunter that get the pray.

The first of Raina's set of manacles fallen down with an audible clank, both the child's wrists free once again, but Lena still remained silent. Another manacle was unlocked and still Lena was unmoving, her silver eyes the only prove that she was alive. The mercenaries looked at them with an unease expression: they were expecting the prisoner to try to squirm away or fight in some way, not to stare at them like that. Only the strange bird was not surprised, his strange face almost looking at her in….expectation? Lena was not sure about it.

The last chain holding Lena's legs clattered down with a small rattle, just when the other humans finished freeing Raina from her restraints.

-Now!- screamed Lena's mind in fury, and so she acted.

In the span of a single second Lena shattered the last chain holding her wrist using a surge of yoki energy and hit with a bone-shattering punch the nearest mercenary in the face, breaking his nose and most of his face in a squelching sound. A second mercenary received part of the chains still attached to Lena's wrist straight into the neck and fell down on the ground kicking and coughing, his windpipe shattered; a second later he was comatose, the shock too great to handle. The others mercenaries witnessed such gruesome spectacle with surprise and lost precious seconds before raising their guns, seconds that Lena quickly capitalized. A third mercenary fainted after receiving a destructive kick straight in the face and ending her run on a wall, breaking most of her ribs in the process. A fourth one almost managed to level his weapon and fire against Lena but the Claymore bested him in a second and ripped from his grip the gun ready to fire; half a second later said gun crashed against the mercenary's head with a squelching sound of mashed brain.

"Leave me alone you monster! Mum, help me!" cried a terrified Raina, getting Lena's immediate attention. The bird-like creature was firmly holding her with a taloned hand and pointing with its second hand a small version of those strange tubular cudgel next to her face. All the remaining mercenaries were also protecting it with a ring of armored bodies.

For a second Lena considered the idea of lunging against the beast holding her daughter and rip it to shred, but the girl knew that this time the mercenaries would have been ready to attack her and at this point she was already suspecting that these strange cudgels were some kind of ranged weapons, especially considering that they were pointing them at her in the same way of a soldier would use a crossbow. The small cudgel was next to Raina's brain, was she really ready to risk Raina's life? No, definitely no!

Resigned, the Claymore left what was left of the gun she had just borrowed and showed her empty hands in defeat. Immediately the bird-like creature handed the terrified Raina to one of his soldiers and said something to its men. Two of them immediately moved next to Lena, forcing her to kneel down with the butt of their guns and handcuffing her wrist with some kind of steel handcuff behind her back. One of said mercenaries also gripped Lena's hairs with one of his gauntlets and kept her immobilized while the toad-eyed creature approached her with its strange device. Lena's mind flashed with pain and she had to suppress the urge of yanking off the hand that was gripping her hairs, trying to not give the bird creature a reason to attack Raina.

The toad-like creature went behind Lena's line of sight, the Claymore felt a strange sting next to her neck and….

"Can you understand me now, human?"

an unknown voice called her. Lena astonished face looked left and right searching for the voice. It was human and comprehensible, but at the same time deep and strange. It took her some second to understand that the one talking was the giant bird!

"I said" repeated the bird "Can you understand me now, human?"

"Yes." was Lena feeble answer

"Excellent!" beamed happily the creature "Girl, I have to admit it: you look like a scrawny, small human barely worth of attention, but you just put quite a show for me. Four of my men killed in less than five seconds. This old Turian right now is about to cry out of joy! Truly commendable!"

Lena almost didn't believed at what she was hearing. Did the giant bird just….commended her for killing his own soldiers?

"And in such a way!" continued the creature imperterred "it seems that only one of them can be saved, all the others have been killed on the spot; the fact that you have used only your hands make everything even more remarkable! Aran has really found a great addiction for my stable."

"You" questioned Lena surprised "You ordered your servant to kidnap me? Why?!"

T'Von looked at her with an amused expression

"Servant? What a big word! Aran is only an associate of mine, an associate requested to bring back to me what I desired."

"And I am what you desire?" asked an appalled Lena

"Correct. You see dear I am a very important business man inside Omega."

"Omega?" asked Lena interrupted him. T'Von looked at her with an annoyed expression but did nothing else

"Yes Omega, the most dangerous space station of the galaxy, filled to the brim with assassins, rapist, smugglers and stuff like that. Deal with it and do not interrupt me unless you want to hear your spawn screaming in pain." All of Lena's questions about what was a space station or a galaxy died in a heartbeat.

"As I was saying" continued T'Von "I am an important business man in Omega. My task, among others, is replenishing the stock of gladiators used in ours arenas for the amusement of all to watch, from the lowest rat to our beloved queen. Without false modesty I can tell that after all these years I managed to do quite a pristine job but, alas, the crowd is fickle and is showing signs of discontent. They do not want to see the blood of some Krogan or Asari anymore. They want something new, something never seen in centuries!" T'Von grabbed Lena' chin with his taloned hand and forced the girl to look at him and scratching her skin in the process "And here you come into the play. A human girl, thinner than a Salarian and with a body of a stripper but with enough strength to kill a Krogan I assume and a penchant for hand to hand combat, something that the crowd love!"

Lena was having problem believing her own ears: this monster was some kind of slave driver and wanted her to fight inside the arena of this station….something called Omega as a gladiator?

What the hell?!

"And...if I refuse to comply?!" asked Lena probing the terrain. The bird was clearly expecting this question because it immediately answered.

"In that case I would not have any use for you; you are clearly too ferocious and can't be tamed so I would kill you and sell your daughter as a slave. She is quite the sweet little thing you know. You have no idea how many interesting people would pay crazy sums of money for having her as a bed-warmer."

Lena's heart sank like a rock after hearing this words. Alone she would have never accepted the monster's proposal. She had already been a slave of the organization once, the most painful experience of all her life, and after the day of her liberation wowed to never allowing anyone else to enslave her once again. But now her refusal would have brought harm to Raina, her daughter, her life….and her Achille's heel! Refusing was not an option.

T'Von saw the anguished look of Lena's face and smiled; a cruel, devious smile.

"Aaah, the love of a mother, what a marvelous thing! It breaks even the strongest spirits."

Lena's face was twisted in pain and rage, but not dared to replicate at first

"Fine." she said in the end

"What?" asked T'Von feigning ignorance

"I said fine!" cried Lena looking at T'Von right into his eyes "I will become your gladiator, I will slaughter whatever you shall trow at me inside this arena of yours, and I will not betray you. But leave Raina alone!"

T'Von looked at her for a second, just before bursting into laughing

"You are incredible human: You are tied and at my mercy and yet you still think you can lay down some conditions. Yes, you are exactly what I was looking for! Tell you what, I have a proposal for you: satisfy me in a battle that I have just prepared and in exchange I will allow you to live with your daughter in an apartment inside the station instead than inside a cell. You will have all the commodities you shall need, except the one of freedom. Does it sound good?"

"I accept!"

* * *

 **Fifteen minutes later. Omega's arena complex**

Lena was standing right in the center of the so called Great Arena of Omega, or at least that was the name used by the four mercenaries that had escorted her inside what was essentially a giant circle with a floor made of stone covered with yellow sand and littered with dozens of cracked pillars. All around her a metal wall five meters tall isolated her from lines and lines of stone bleachers that reached the sky and all empty for this particulary occasion. Dozens of red lights illuminated the place and at the apex of this construction a big rhomboidal construction made of glass loomed at her covering the center of the arena with his massive shadow; a metal cord of deceptive fragility was keeping the entire structure hanging without problems. Inside the only spectators of this incoming battle, T'Von along with Illish, some attendants and a thoroughly frightened Raina now collared with some sort of metal chocker were looking down at the arena, waiting for the beginning of the fight.

Lena was not so keen of beginning the battle, in part because she was not volunteering for all of this but mostly because the trip for reaching this strange arena had been one of the most amazing and breath-taking she had ever done! The poor Claymore had remained stunned for almost a good minute after exiting from Aran' space vessel, too busy looking at the marvels all around her and trying to accept their existence: dozens of strange and exotic creatures everywhere, from strange blue skinned females to giant floating squids; warlocks of every kind creating strange balls of lights thanks of bizarre orange devices, metal edifices so tall that were eclipsing the sun and the star, talking machines strapped inside the walls….the mercenaries had to bodily move her for some minutes, such was Lena's astonishment.

In the end her walk was ended when she finally reached one of the many entrances of the arenas, a small metallic door, and the mercenaries ordered her to enter after giving her a single weapon, a long steel crowbar. It was nothing compared to her trusted sword, but it was something.

All of a sudden one of the heavy metal door on the opposite side of where she was standing unfastened itself with a cracking sound and a giant creature entered inside the arena. Lena was still unable to understand what was about to fight against her, the arena was five hundred meters and the opening of the door had raised tons of dust.

When the girl managed to take a good look at her new enemy she could only gape in surprise

"Sir" asked Illish

"Yes Illish?"

"Why are you letting the subject fight agains a well armed Krogan of the blood pack with only a crowbar? Her chances of victory are next to zero!"

"That is the point" answered T'Von "I have no need of a normal gladiator. If she cannot defeat that Krogan with what she has then this mean that she is not worth my time."

The creature was enormous, at least two meters and half tall and larger than a bull. He possessed a scaly, brown skin and an enormous hump just above his small, lizard-like eyes. Said hump was covered with dozens of big natural plates of pitch-black scales. His mouth was enormous and packed to the brim with sharp and long teeth. His hand possessed only three long digits and were as callous as the bark of a tree. The creature was dressed with some kind of blue leather armor and had at least four enormous metal cudgels strapped on his back

"A human child?!" raged the creature after looking at Lena with his small, ferocious eyes "They promise me a battle against one of the most dangerous creature in the galaxy and now I have to fight against a human child!?"

The beast bellowed a war cry and quickly grabbed one of his cudgels. A second later a trigger was squeezed and a hailstorm of shotgun bullets flied against Lena with murderous intent, but the girl was ready. At this point she had vaguely realized what was the true nature of said cudgels, so when the beast fired at her she reacted in time, just in time.

Lena jumped away from danger with an inhumane leap and the hailstorm of bullet merely grazed her left leg instead of transforming her to a bloody paste. The beast looked at her for a second, stunned by her display of quickness, but immediately regained focus and started firing continuously against her target.

Lena refused to attack, instead she started running all around the arena, always in motion, and used the various pieces of masonry as cover, avoiding shots after shots. Her mind was desperately trying to come with a strategy against that mountain of muscles

-At leas now I know what has killed these three yoma back at home.- bitterly reasoned Lena

"Stay still you damned human!" raged the beast while wildly firing at her. Sand flied in small storms near her, broken pillars shattered in a whirlwind of stones and pebbles but still was Lena unharmed, too fast to be catch by the strange creature. Like a wolf, she circled her prey, waiting for an occasion.

Said occasion arrived when the beast's weapon ejected a strange cylindrical object and stopped firing.

Lena lunged against the lizard, crowbar ready and yoki flaring; the beast tried to replace the strange cylinder but it was too slow and Lena already on top on him.

With a savage cry, Lena increased her arms muscle's mass and hit the Krogan in the head with the crowbar, just below the armored and scaled front.

The crowbar shattered scales and skin; yellow liquid splashed Lena's face and the creature howled in rage and pain, wildly flaying the air at the desperate research of a target. Lena nimbly dodged this attacks and punched the creature right where should be the guts. It felt like hitting a wall made of stone but it did the trick because the Krogan retracted and sidestepped away. Lena chased him, unwilling to lose her vantage.

For the first time a Krogan was having a disadvantage at close range, but this did not meant that he was defenseless. The poor Claymore discovered this when her second charge was interrupted when the beast head-butted her using its damaged frontal plates as a battering ram.

The scales collided with Lena's face with a loud thump and the Claymore, now dazed and with her nose shattered, groggily disengaged from the attack and ran next to a stone pillar for cover, but the beast used the sudden advantage to attack her with another strange crossbow, this time one of smaller size and rectangular shape. The first three hits missed her by a hair but the fourth reached her in the left shoulder just a second before reaching the cover; Lena felt an agonizing pain erupting from his skin while the quarrel quartered and ripped skin and bone at astonishing speed. A fountain of blood sprayed the surrounding sand, turning it red; Lena had never felt so much pain in her life, not even when a yoma had once managed to skewer her with its claws.

Lena retreated herself behind the stone pillar, using the momentary moment of respite to regrow the broken shoulder and catch her breath; she had barely managed to regenerate most of the damage sustained when something else entirely, a massive gouge of flame, force her away from her cover before risking being roasted alive. Once again outside cover Lena could now see the beast handling another type of crossbow, this time massive in size and possessing some kind of canister strapped on both its flanks. The end of said weapon was gouging out massive amount of red liquid flames, so hot that the even the sand fumed and smoked when hit.

"Seriously!" shouted to no one in particular a flabbergasted Lena "A fire-spewing crossbow? What in the goddesses's name?!"

The attack was now relentless: the beast had smelled her blood and now wanted more: flames were now chasing her everywhere forcing the Claymore to stay constantly on the run, desperately trying to avoid being hit by the unconventional attack. Unfortunately one tongue of fire grazed her legs and because of that all of Lena's nerves shouted in pain and rage. The Claymore stumbled and tripped on her feet, losing the crowbar in the process; she desperately tried to recuperate it but the beast had others plan: in the exact second she managed to reach her weapon a strange, circular device landed next to her. A second later a blinding light hit her eyes making her blind, followed by a cry of rage and the noise of something big charging her.

The Krogan hit her square in the chest with at least 300 kilos of pure rage and muscle mass, shattering most of Lena's ribs. Lena's body flied like a rag doll before ending her race next to stone pillar and slumping down on the floor crying in pain. the girl instinctively charged her arms with as much yoki energy she could and hit the Krogan in one of his legs using a big rock lying around the now shattered pillar. The projectile collided and something snapped inside the Krogan's left leg; the beast lost its momentum for a precious second, second used by Lena to charge the beast and rip a small rectangular crossbow from the monster's hip, smashing it with all her strength against the Krogan's skull. The beast reeled and copious amount of blood poured from both the leg and the head, but the Krogan's response was a bone-breaking kick that destroyed one of Lena's legs forcing her to kneel.

-Shit!- cursed Lena with what breath she still possessed -I have the right leg broken in at least three places, my skin is burning and that thing that is stabbing my stomach is probably- Lena spewed a clot of blood -Surely a rib. This is not good!-

Her yoki infused body desperately tried to regenerate all this damage but the Krogan at this point was on a blood rage and because of the wounds she was too slow to avoid it. One last devastating hit and Lena was finally beaten on the ground, the Krogan placing a giant foot on her chest and looking at her with…..respectful eyes? Lena could not be so sure, her eyesight was clotted by blood and sweat at this point but she believed to see the beast looking at her with a happy expression, mixed with respect.

"I was wrong." said the beast with a profound tone and touching all its wounds "You were not a small, insignificant human. You fought against me showing honor and respect." With small, almost sensitive moves it unholstered the last of its crossbows, one of the biggest ones.

"I am Korgath of Clan Urdnot, and I grant you a proper death."

Lena's mind raced, thinking to everything she was about to lose: she could not die now, she had to come back to Anastasia, to live and see another day….to avoid condemning Raina to become a slave.

This last thought sent her brain in overdrive, filling her veins with liquid rage and trowing to the proverbial window every caution.

With a hoarse cry, Lena infused her whole body and reached the 70% of yoki energy level per cell.

What happened later remained forever something of a mystery for everyone but Lena: a second before Korgath was about to finish Lena, the second later he was flying like a brick for some meters before being stopped by the now stained floor, hit by an unstoppable force. Beyond confused Korgath slowly lifted himself up, his head banging and a new wound showing up near his neck; his eyes scanned the arena searching for the strange human girl now dying on the floor. What she saw left him speechless: the girl was now standing, her white skin now pitch black and rough like a stone; her eyes were now yellow and feral like the ones of a rabid Varren. When she spoke, her voice was clearly not human anymore

 **"I do not have the luxury of dying beast, and you?"** it was a low, trailing voice, almost a growl.

Lena charged Korgath with a savage cry, so fast to be barely visible this time. Korgath instinctively tried to parry the incoming blow, trusting that he would have at least able to deflect an attack made by a desperate and wounded girl.

The blow hit both his arms and shattered their bones in an instant with a squelching sound.

Korgath howled in pain and surprise, and Lena kept the momentum hitting him another time, and another, and another, and another! Bones were broken, veins opened, tendons shattered and the poor Korgath endured all this punishment, not understanding how all of this was possible and feeling weaker after every passing second; his weapons were forgotten in their holsters, too busy trying to merely survive against the onslaught. All of a sudden Lena grabbed Korgath's left arm and started pulling with all her strength. For a second the arm opposed some resistance, then there was a ripping sound followed by a scream of agony and a mad cackling: Lena had just ripped Korgath arm with sheer strength alone; still Lena's mad rage was not sated yet and she started beating savagely Korgath with his own arm still dripping yellow blood.

 **"Korgath, right? A pleasure to meet you. My name is Lena, number 22 of the ex-organization"** Bellowed Lena with a mad grin **"More known as Lena the rock!"**

Finally, after two minutes of savage beating Korgath stopped moving and Lena's anger subsided, her yoki level slowly going down thanks to exhaustion and fatigue.

She was in shambles: her legs were burning, her body protesting for fatigue, her bones cracking and splintering, her blood everywhere but inside her body as it should. She barely managed to move an inch and drop the stump in her arm before collapsing down exhausted on her four limbs. The only reason she did not awaken was because even her yoki energies were totally depleted.

"Bravo!" shouted a voice above her head, T'Von's voice "Bravo Lena! A masterful fight! You must tell me how you managed to make Korgath fly like that! It was so fast that I was unable to follow it!"

Lena raised her head and looked at T'Von with tired eyes.

"So….have I passed your test?" asked with hoarse voice

"With flying colors dear, but now kill your enemy."

Puzzled Lena looked back at Korgath body and discovered that truthfully the giant beast was still alive: it was losing torrents of blood from its wounds and was incapable to move, but still alive.

Something moved inside Lena's soul: she was a Claymore, not some kind of murderer after all. Truth to be told, she was more than ready to kill scum like the yoma and in recent times even human bandits and filth like that, but Korgath had proved itself to be more than a rabid beast. There was intelligence in his eyes, and respect, albeit mixed with some kind of bestial rage. Maybe a wife and some children were awaiting his return somewhere in this station or somewhere else. Maybe he had been forced to fight for T'Von in exchange for something, she could not know.

Was is really the right thing to kill him?

T'Von noted the girl's uncertainty and quickly reacted

"Ah dear, you were going so well!" sighted in false sympathy. With one taloned hand he pressed a button inside his strange glowing wrist magical device and immediately Raina started howling in pain.

"No!" screamed Lena in horror but was too tired to even move at this point.

"You see" continued T'Von imperterred "That collar that your daughter is now wearing is a particular slave collar fashioned in the Batarian hegemony. It is not removable, i am the only one that can use it and it will slowly and painfully kill your precious spawn unless deactivated. Let's just say it is my insurance about your obedience." Raina slumped down on the floor, convulsing and screaming like a madwoman. Her chocker was now glowing with energy

"Stop please!" pleaded Lena now in tears

"Then, will you obey me without rebelling?" asked T'Von with a smug smile

"Yes, I will! I will obey! But please stop it!" Lena was on her knees, literally praying him.

"Then dear, kill him." T'Von was clearly pleased and immediately deactivated the chocker; Raina was now crying without stopping, her body still reeling for the torture just received. "And do not worry, I am brutal but honest, I will still let you live in an apartment with your daughter."

Defeated, Lena slowly approached Korgath's bulky frame. He was barely breathing but both his eyes were conscious and looking at her

"I am sorry." she whispered holding back the tears

"Do not…." wheezed Korgath "You….strong…..you…..protect..Child…..honored…..die…...hand." there was no rage or fear in his eyes, they were calm and clear.

Lena broken his neck with one last, quick strike, and finally exploded in tears after doing it. All of this, the slavery, the pain, the way her life had just turned….this was all too much for her.

"Well done Lena" simply said T'Von "Welcome to your new life."

 **And so Lena is stuck. I hope I have managed to create a genuinely bastardly character with T'Von. After all is a ruthless crime lord of Omega and not a cloistered nun.**

 **One thing: this story will have a Shepard and I have no intention of creating an -Omega arc- for now**

 **Tell me if you want it and please review and comment especially if you find something wrong about the story; people grow thanks to their mistakes after all.**

 **P.S. for whoever is a bit confused, Lena's ability consist in infusing her skin with yoki essences at a molecular level, transforming herself in some kind of moving boulder, but is very yoki consuming and prone to awakening.**


	5. Chapter 5 fateful meeting

**Chapter 5**

 **The fateful meeting**

 **Here it is part four! Where Shepard meets a Claymore and discovers that she is a bit more brutal than your average mass effect person. As always I am not gaining one penny from this. Just trying to improve my writing skills and to give something interesting to read for the community.**

 **Good reading!**

 **Normandy SR 2. 24 February 2185**

Inside the mess hall of a particularly famous ship currently docked inside Omega's space station, a Turian covered head to toe in deep blue armour barring the helmet and shoving a white, scarred but jovial face, and a single human were having a good time. They shared stories, laughed and discussed pointless stuff like only great friends can do.

The scenery on itself was relatively common in the universe, but the people participating this time were not. One was the infamous Archangel, Turian vigilante and thorn in the sides of any mercenary group residing on Omega. The other was none less than Odin Shepard, the first human Spectre and saviour of the Council.

Quite an interesting couple to find, especially considering that both of them were believed to be dead by most of the galaxy!

Hallucination? Folly?

Nothing like that. Archangel, more known as Garrus or Calibrator by his friends, had been saved by the skin of his teeth from death thanks to the ship doctor's ministrations. About Shepard, well….let's just say that there was a very good reason for him to work for the Cerberus organization. After all, the self-proclaimed protectors of mankind had been so gentle to resurrect him and provide him resources and agents for saving the human colonies of Terminus while the Council and Alliance were busy moving their thumbs.

They were still a bunch of stupid racists though. And no, he would always refuse to join them, no matter what.

"Sure is a good idea?" asked Garrus between a sip or two of beer "Going back to that hellhole with me? As you have already noticed I am not very popular out here, despite my magnetic charm."

"I know that it is risky Garrus" replied Shepard with a smile "But, as you said few people have seen you without your helmet, besides stopping a missile with your face did one hell of make-up for you!"

"Ah, bloody ah Shepard" pouted Garrus with fake anger. Shepard smiled at this: he had missed good old Garrus: a bit hot-headed and impetuous yes, but also funny, loyal and totally capable to work well with most teammates, be they Council people or not. His open personality coupled with his C-Sec training made him one of the best soldier and friend in Shepard's book.

If only he would stop being so set on recalibrating everything in his path.

"There is another reason why I want you Garrus" continued Shepard this time in a more serious tone "I do not know If I can trust my others team-mates: Mordin seems obsessed only with research, Miranda is on the Illusive Man's strings, Zaeed is mercenary and Kasumi is a thief so both people without real personal connection with the mission; Jacob seems fine but is too early to say something. Right now you are the only person I truly trust, beside Joker and Karin."

"Really Shepard, I'm flattered. It almost sounds like a marriage proposal. Shall I prepare the white dress that you humans love so much?" Joked Garrus with a grin "Jokes aside Shepard you know that you can count on me. I will keep an eye on your back and if someone will try to stab you in the back, that someone will receive the third hole on his head." The scarred Turian took a moment to take another bottle of (dextro-amino) beer before continuing

"Now, just to know: why are we going back inside that hellhole?"

"Because the illusive man had just warned me through Kelly that there is another possible candidate to be recruited."

"So is another recruit? Who is he, or she?"

Shepard scrolled through a data-pad previously received by Kelly for a moment

"A female gladiator it seems. She is human and known only by her battle name as the Ripper. Three hundred victories inside the arena, three ties and no defeats. Apparently, she is some kind of unstoppable sword-mistress and an infallible grenade user. Cerberus' sources are surprisingly thin about her: they suspect she is the result of some kind of genetic manipulation but never managed to approach her. Aria loves to watch her fight and seem affectionate to her for some reason and no one wants to piss off Omega's queen."

Garrus's after hearing that particular description did something that left Shepard speechless. The scarred Turian spat all his beer in a surprising spray, almost choking himself and showering Shepard with alcohol.

"What the hell Garrus!?" asked Shepard barely avoiding the spray

"Spirit Shepard! Are we really trying to recruit that….thing?!" replied a dismayed and thoroughly surprised Garrus

"You know her?" Now Garrus had Shepard's attention

"Not personally" Garrus's voice was now low as if remembering something happened long ago "But I saw her fight once, one year ago. It was when I still had my old squad and kept myself busy killing scum inside that blasted station. Rumours of a single human gladiator being forced to fight against dozens of well-armed Vorcha and scores of rabid Varren armed only with a sword reached my ears and I decided to intervene. You know me, Shepard, I hate injustices and that looked more like an execution than a fight. The fact that most if not all gladiators of Omega are slaves only managed to strengthen my resolve. I and my squad infiltrated the arena and waited for her arrival, ready to make a mess and give to our infiltrator the chance to rescue the gladiator.

It was all ready; my squad was in position and I had found a sniper perch, one covering the entire arena, but in the end, she entered inside the arena and all of our work proved to be unnecessary."

Garrus stopped for a moment his tale, just for watering his throat

"She was genuinely disturbing Shepard: she was thinner than Tali, but far taller and wielded an enormous great-sword as if it was made of paper. Not a second later her entrance bodies were already flying. I kid you not Shepard: she was faster with her sword than the Vorcha with their guns.

After not even four minutes of brutal fighting, all the Vorcha and Varren lied dead on the floor, their bodies horribly mutilated and dismembered but she was without a scratch!

Naturally, after seeing that spectacle I immediately dropped the mission."

Shepard raised both his eyebrows in surprise. Garrus appeared to be genuinely scared by the prospect of meeting the new possible agent, and he was a Turian who had followed him against Saren without breaking a sweat. Garrus noted Shepard's gaze and replied with a very preoccupied one on his own.

"Shepard, I know that you possess a silver tongue and could be able to convince a Krogan to become a pacifist if you truly wanted to, but right now I seriously hope that Cerberus implanted you with some kind of beast-taming devices because we are about to meet one."

* * *

Two hours later, after finishing the break with Garrus and preparing himself for the mission, Shepard was ready to come out from his ship, covered from head to toe in black-onyx heavy armor trimmed with gold, armed to the teeth with heavy pistol, sniper rifle, assault rifle, machine gun and shotgun and with both his companions chosen for this little mission already waiting for him next to the exit point, but for the first time after being revived the normally cool and collected commander was troubled. He was about to recruit a sword-user of all people and one directly under Aria's personal control after all. Of course, being an N7 trained as a soldier Shepard knew the value of a well trained close combat fighter, he himself was fairly good at using the shotgun. And by experience, Shepard knew that all the fancy tech and biotics in the universe were useless when a warp bullet hit you in the face, but a sword? That was a bit too close for his comfort. The fact that no one really knew anything about this mysterious woman, apart for the fact that she kept visiting a particular Quarian inside the station for some reason, the same Quarian helped by Shepard some days ago, and that she was human did nothing to ease the discomfort.

Shepard hated going on a mission blind, especially after Eden Prime.

Kelly, her secretary and would-be illusive man's spy (too candid for that last work) made some effort to scrounge more information about their target, but it was all for nought: an iron curtain kept this Ripper's past well sealed from prying eyes.

In the end, Shepard simply decided to deal with the situation the old way, meaning deciding on the moment if this potential recruit was worth his time.

Garrus and Mordin were the companions chosen for this mission and both of them were already waiting for him, armed and ready, one stoic and resolute inside his blue armour, the other over excited and talkative as always

"Ah Shepard, good to see you are ready. Ripper eh? Interesting choice saw some videos about her during my permanence at STG. Quite a formidable fighter. Always been curious about the source of her physical power. Grafting of Krogan tissues on the human body? Genetic alteration? Cannot wait to meet her, hoping for a fruitful conversation." said Mordin with an overly excited voice in less than ten seconds after seeing Shepard. How the old Salarian managed to not choke on his word every time he spoke was beyond Shepard at this point

"Yes yes Mordin, I am sure she will love talking to you. Let's go team." replied with a shrug Shepard "The fastest we go away from this hell hole the better."

* * *

 **Omega station. Lena's quarters. The same moment.**

Another day, another victorious battle. Once again the arenas of Omega witnessed the Ripper's sword clashing against the most dangerous enemies of the galaxy. Once again the crowd cheered at the sight of their most beloved champion claiming victory from dozens of mangled corpses.

As always after a victory, the room outside the Ripper's apartment was a maelstrom of activity: dozens of frenzied fans and admirer pushed toward the doors like madmen, screaming and shouting the name of their heroine. Many held in their hands' small gifts and trinkets, all of them trying to leave them next to the door while others pushed and cursed at the security droids keeping the tide at bay.

Ripper! Ripper! Ripper! the crowd cheered, repeating the word like a mantra, hoping that this would evocate their champion. Hoping to be able to touch the flesh of the deadliest gladiator of the galaxy.

For Lena, all of this noise was only a distraction. A disgusting reminder of her situation.

Escorted by a small gang of bodyguard through a private passage, the Claymore was now busy cleaning her sword. An old habit of hers that often helped her in clearing the mind.

Often, but not today.

Two years. Two long years had already passed since that fateful day, the day when Aran stole her freedom and sold her to that horrible monster. And yet so many things had already happened

After the battle against Korgath, an exhausted Lena had been personally escorted by a jovial T' von to her new home, a small apartment made of a living room, a bathroom, a small kitchen and a studio. The place was all in all well furnished with mobiles and luxuries, it was even heated up by some kind of plumbing system, but Lena was not fooled by all of this: first of all the chocker now firmly lodged on her daughter's neck was a constant reminder of her actual position, and second of all well….

* * *

 **Two years ago**

"And this is the house as promised, quite a beautiful little thing don't you think? Now"

"Ahhh mum!" it was Raina's voice and she was terrorized.

"Raina!" Lena's reaction was almost a blur and for a second T'Von lost her

What happened, after finding her once again, a second later left the crime lord forever speechless: the child Raina was covering behind a table while Lena snarled at the cause of such disruption, a bloody house-keeping drone!

"What the hell Is this witchcraft?!" snarled Lena at T'Von

"What do you mean with witchcraft?" answered a befuddled T'Von "Spirits woman, is just a house-keeping drone! Every house possess one!"

"Please specify the workload for bzzz" the poor drone was sent flying by Lena in one instinctive kick, destroying it in a messy pulp.

"Witchcraft!" simply said Lena with hate.

* * *

There were some….interesting problems to overcome.

The crime lord was genuinely shocked by the girl's lack of understanding even the most basic of modern days devices and forced himself to postpone Lena's training for almost one month, one month used by Illish and some other of his underlings to teach the young Claymore and her daughter the basics of living inside a modern house and how to properly use an Omni-tool and other devices without looking at them as if they were the spawns of hell. The lessons were moderately successful, and after two weeks Lena finally stopped using her fist against the door controls and started utilizing a very basic Omni-tool; the latter was done by Lena with extreme slowness and fear as if the device was constantly on the verge of eating her but it was good enough for T'Von that ordered her to begin the training.

Yes, the training; because Lena, despite clearly being an incredibly strong and resourceful warrior was unaccustomed of fighting massed groups of ranged enemies, being them biotics or gunners, and knew nothing about the strong and weak points of all the creatures, sentients or not, of the universe. A true Gladiator needs to possess a flawless physique, perfect knowledge of his enemies and fearless resolve.

T'Von spared no expenses for this.

For three long months, Lena trained her body under the constant watch of four Batarian trainers inside a high-gravity room packed to the brim with barbels, cables, benches, fake weapons and various machines. Every day said trainers whipped her into shape with professional expertise. They decided what instruments to use, what she was allowed to eat and stuff like that all while a doctor constantly checked her for signs of improvements or muscular stress. Every session lasted at least five hours but that was not the end. After that struggle, Lena had to study, under a biologist's supervision, the anatomy of aliens creatures. All for the sake of learning where to hit an enemy and how to do it properly.

After the first month said workloads were increased by another kind of lessons, one about the proper functioning of armours and barriers and how to disrupt them.

Lena surprised everyone expectations: not once the girl complained about the excessive workload, always ready to do another exercise, always ready to challenge her limit. All her trainers were left speechless by this mysterious girl capable of running, training and fighting for hours inside the high gravity room without collapsing even once. No challenge was too difficult for her, no session too arduous; her strength increased tenfold, and her yoki with it.

Where an arrogant person would have basked in the glory of these achievements, she remained quiet and humble, and patiently learned how to efficiently kill her future enemies.

Where to hit them, where to hurt them.

Not once she tried to run away from Omega, always being obedient and cold, always remembering T'Von's words. The only black spot in an otherwise spotless regime was her ability to wield firearms. Not that she was unable to use them properly, on the contrary! Thanks to her improved strength and accuracy she was even able to use sniper rifle with only one hand, but the Claymore never managed to completely break that particular barrier. The only exception was the grenades; after all these strange metallic discs worked almost like a throwing knife: you throw it, the enemy dies. Of course, a trowing knife avoid making such a mess when hitting its target but ehh, details!

At the end of the fourth month, Lena was ready: her body strengthened and improved, her knowledge increased ten fold and her mind focused and ready. T'Von, pleased with her progress, decided to give her a peculiar weapon for the arena: her own giant sword, improved. The weapon itself was a remarkable piece of craftsmanship and T'Von almost decided to keep it for himself as a trophy but was too heavy and brittle for the enemies of the arena. The Crime lord so decided to have the sword reforged in a new alloy: a mix of titanium, iridium and copper, with a small sliver of 0 elements at his core for disrupting enemies barriers. After three days of work the giant, bone-coloured sword was now black as death and the thread of her sword now quietly hummed with blue power, thanks to the Eezo flowing inside it, making the already fearsome weapon even more deadly against any target and even able to parry bullets and biotic attacks! Surprisingly enough for T'Von, Lena showed no sign of happiness after receiving her old weapon back, but he could not know, he could not understand that a Claymore sword is more than a mere tool for the warrior wielding it and that seeing her old friend and comrade so changed almost killed what was left of Lena's soul. In the end, the girl simply accepted the gift without saying a word and buried the rage inside herself, vowing that one-day T'Von would have paid also for this.

Lena, despite her apparent obedience, had not been idle during her captivity: her ears always listened what her captors and handlers discussed during the training when they believed she was not listening; they love to discuss about everything and the girl learned a great deal about the universe thanks to them. The door of her new house was always open, T'Von knew that she would have never tried to escape without her daughter, and every night Lena slipped away from her home after making sure that Raina was sleeping, discovering this strange, new word and trying to find a way to send a message back home. What she discovered almost made her kill herself in despair: this place, this strange station where she was stranded, was far, far away from her home. More precisely beyond the known stars.

Lena in the beginning simply refused to believe it. One thing was flying inside the Aether like a bird but beyond the stars?! And the existence of dozens of different worlds scattered in the universe?!

Impossible.

Then, she saw the window in one of the many and nameless decks of the station. It was a normal window, one that you would find in every space station worth of its name, and trough it Lena saw something that will forever haunt her nightmare: it was the void, an empty void black as death dotted with myriads of small lights of various colours. Inside the void strange ships, similar to the one used by Aran but much, much bigger, floated like giant whales without a sound, braving the eternal darkness without fear.

After that day Lena seriously considered the idea of suicide and decided against it only because of Raina.

Yes Raina, her child and life….and now another big problem for her. The captivity was taking its toll on the poor child, especially considering the fact that the child constantly accused herself of being the reason for Lena's enslavement. Gone was her cheerful and happy behaviour, substituted by an apathetic and empty face. During the day she barely uttered a single word while at night small slivers of tears never stopped raining down from her cheeks. Her mind a perpetual cauldron of fear and rage, rage against the people that were hurting Lena, fear of her own weakness. Lena tried her best to cheer her daughter up in every way possible. Hell, for her she even braved this infamous invisible library called "Extranet", desperately searching for something that could help her in some way. Said researches proved to be fruitless for the poor Claymore: it was already impossibly strange for her the fact that a giant, invisible library existed everywhere in the air and was accessible thanks to this "Omni-tool" every one possessed, but seeing that after writing a word billions of results, all different, showed themselves proved to be too much for Lena. Thanks the goddesses a small miracle reached her in form of a young Quarian called Keen living inside a small one-room apartment rigorously cleaned, a good boy stranded like her in this disgusting station that accepted to teach Raina engineering in exchange of a small fee (and her protection); Raina showed to be at least interested and partially removed herself from her depression and gained some much-needed schooling. Lena would have cut her own limbs rather than not letting Raina have some kind of education.

Naturally, T'Von knew nothing about all this, not that he would have cared. All the Turian cared was that after her debut inside the Arena Lena had quickly become in less than six months the most famous gladiator in the entire sector.

The crowd loved her: they loved the way she fought armed only with a sword, some grenades and her body; they loved the showers of blood that come after every swing, the mutilated limbs that flew like bloody roses inside the arena. They roared when an enemy was mauled and decapitated by her black sword! When Lena entered the field, the crown always cheered and roared for her, crying her name in joy and frenzy waiting for the incoming slaughter!

Ripper, they called her. A fitting name, considering her fighting style.

After one year of fighting Lena's house ended up being literally assaulted by a relentless wave of gifts like flowers and jewellery and love letters, all coming from admirers from all the galaxy. Such attention left Lena negatively surprised: on her, planet Claymores were treated as monsters, but at least no one idolized violence in the way they were doing here! By the goddesses! She had been forced to kill dozens of people inside that blasted arena, and the crown cheered instead of being horrified? Batarian, Asari, Turian, Human, Elcor….so many people died under her blade. The fact that most of the said people were pirates and assassins lessened only slightly her disgust.

Unfortunately, this admiration brought a disgusting side effect: after one year of fightings and almost one hundred victories under her belt many people, very wealthy people, expressed to T'Von their desire to known the great Ripper in a more….intimate way. After paying a hefty sum naturally.

Lena fought a desperate battle against her owner, shouting, pleading and crying for days, asking him to not force upon her this final humiliation, but in the end, T'Von simply activated Raina's collar and almost killed her, breaking all her protests. The only concession that she received was the promise of receiving only Asari, Salarian and Human clients, not Turian, Krogan or worst, those disgusting Batarian.

Lena threw away in disgust the dirty rag, the simple memory enough to enrage her. She had been forced to….fornicate with dozens of people: mercenary leaders, daddies' boys, and Asari. A Claymore, a proud silver eyed warrior, forced to became an escort for foppish idiots! Most of the said clients were happy to simply parade her to their friends as some kind of trophy but the Asari, oooh, they were another matter entirely. All of them fucked her without hesitation, ravaging both her mind and body and leaving behind a crying Lena after the intercourse. Lena hated that race now, with a particular passion, and it showed every time one of her enemies was an Asari.

For a second Lena's mind wandered amidst the memories. So many things happened in two years, none of them happy, but giving up was not an option; she had to find a way to save herself and Raina and to receive her vengeance.

Slowly Lena stands up and went outside her house. It was time to pick Raina from Keen's abode.

During the walk she overheard some Salarian workers speaking about a human called Shepard but the Claymore paid them no heed. She had no interest in idle gossip.

* * *

 **Keen's abode, the same hour**

"Commander! Glad to see you again! I have to say, I did not expect to meet you in such a short time!" said Keen with jovial expression. They were inside his small house now, one single room cut in two thanks to a small woollen curtain.

"Good to see you too boy. Is the Elcor still annoying you?" replied Shepard with a smile

"Keelah no! And all thanks to you. If things keep going like that I will still be able to escape from this gutter. I cannot thank you enough Shepard. What brings you here? You were quite vague with your message."

"Keen, I am here for the Ripper," said Shepard straight to the point. Keen's face dropped like a stone and the boy started nervously moving his hands

"I suspected it was something serious, but not this. What do you want from her?"

"Just talking to her and offering a place in my squad," said Shepard. Keen laughed at these words

"Shepard, she cannot leave, and even if she could I highly doubt that she would follow you. You may be the saviour of the Citadel but for her titles and fame are all useless. Ancestors! Sometimes she looks more like a Geth than a human. Raina is the only person than manage to rip a smile from her face."

"A who is this Raina? A friend?" asked Garrus bored "Must be quite the mad-woman if she tends to stay with a gladiator that can kill a Varren with her bare hands."

"I am Raina you disgusting Lizard!" cried an unknown voice. All the squad looked at the direction of the sound and saw a small figure coming out from the curtain; a child, no more than eleven years old and beautiful beyond belief. Dressed in simple robes, she possessed smooth porcelain skin, silver eyes, a cascade of blonde hairs and well-toned body. The only sour note in her was the slave collar attached to her neck.

"Erm...hello little one!" began a surprised Shepard. Was the Ripper a mother? Why did no one tell him about that? "Raina right. You know the Ripper. Because I am here for" Raina stopped him with an annoyed gesture.

"Stop it! Just stop it. You are here for my mother and you will force her to fight against your enemies just like him, but mum and I only want to go back home! Do you think she fights inside that horrible arena because she desires it? Just leave us alone!"

The words were harsh and unforgiving, not suited inside such a young child, but very revealing. The slave chocker was another piece of the puzzle.

"Incorrect child" intervened Mordin "Shepard totally unable of coercive action against other people unless absolutely necessary for the mission. Psychological profile clear about it."

"Yes, besides a child like you should not mess with adult stuff." continued Garrus with a snort. Raina looked at them with a scornful look.

"I stopped being a child four years ago, lizard!"

For a long second no one dared to speak, the situation too strange and unexpected for all the participants. In the end, what released the situation was a sound, the sound of a doorbell.

"Oh no" commented Keen "It's her."

"Keen, speak with her." Asked Shepard "You know me, I am not here to force anyone. I just want to speak and if she decides to not follow me then I will go away, no strings attached."

Keen looked at Shepard first, then at Raina. In the end, he sighed loudly.

"Fine Shepard, wait here."

The young Quarian disappeared behind her door and started talking with someone; the voice was female, beautiful and musical. Similar to French in a way but different at the same time. Shepard heard the stranger's voice rise up in a high pitched tone, anger dripping from every word, followed by Keen's hushed speech. It took five minutes of intense negotiations, but in the end, Keen came back together with the famous Ripper.

She was surely majestic: two meters tall and possessing the same skin and eyes of Raina confirming that she was her mother, Shepard for a second wondered how old she was. She looked no older than him but the child was already eleven years old. No scars blemished her flawless skin, despite battling for two years God only knows what kind of insanity inside the arenas of Omega. Still, her eyes revealed to Shepard that she was a veteran of who knows how many battles. Her famous enormous great-sword was strapped on her back and ready to be used. Her hairs were tied in a very long ponytail reaching her backside.

"Keen said that you want to talk." said the Ripper with neutral voice "Very well then, let's talk."

* * *

 **Five minutes later**

Lena was annoyed. She had just finished cleaning her sword and reached Keen's house with the sole intention of going back home with her daughter and trying to have some greatly needed family time with her, and instead she was stuck talking with an uber-armoured human that called himself Specter for some reason along with his merry band of misfits, rambling something about a very important mission in the Terminus system. The only could not know but the only reason both him and his squad were still alive was only that Keen guaranteed for them.

"Why should I accept your proposal, Specter?" asked Lena annoyed. The human spectre looked at her puzzled

"If it is a problem my thin affiliation of Cerberus, I can assure you"

"I do not care if you have a three-headed dog as friend Specter, and I also do not care if hundreds of humans die if I refuse to follow you."

Snarled Lena back, what left of her patience slipping away with each passing second.

"You do not care about the life of millions of people?" asked Garrus probing the terrain. For a second Lena remembered her days as Claymore and lost her temper

"And why should I?" angrily asked Lena to no one in particular "I saved hundreds of humans years ago, and how have they recompensed me? With hate, racism and contempt! Why should I go back to that road and fight for them? They can all die screaming for all I care!"

The Specter opened his mouth, closed it, and then deeply sighted. This was clearly not the answer he had expected.

"Listen, I do not know your past and this is neither the time nor the place for a philosophical debate, but it is clear to me that you do not like being here. I can help you escape if you want, and pay you handsomely. The people behind me are not short on cash or power."

Lena sighed and took a closer look at the human next to him. He was on his thirties and covered head to toe in black armour so he could only clearly see a full face partially covered with a barely visible red beard and short red cropped hair; he was clearly athletic and the way his weapon were strapped behind him, not counting two long red jagged scars next to his right cheek, showed to Lena that he was a capable warrior, but what really caught the Claymore attention were his eyes. Green, deep and powerful; the eyes of a warrior that fought against hell itself and somehow managed to survive and become stronger.

Lena had already seen this kind of eyes, once.

"You are good at speaking, just like Anastasia and that other bitch, but I am not easily swayed. What exactly can you offer me, spectre?"

"Whatever you desire." the answer had been quick and sure.

"Can you save Raina?" asked Lena.

"They use her against you, am I right?" observed Shepard "That slave collar speak for itself. I can have it removed if you want."

Lena chuckled humorlessly

"Very funny toying with me spectre. The only one who can remove that collar is the owner, and that bastard will never do it!"

This time it was Shepard's time to chuckle

"Mordin, do they teach at STG how to deactivate those death-traps?"

"Ah of course of course." chirped Mordin while activating his Omni-tool. "Many yearly operations carried out inside Batarian hegemony's territories. Freeing important personnel and other classified actions. Necessary to know how to use their technology. Slave collars annoying and difficult to break on occasion, but quite docile if you know how to crack them. This one is also an old model. Here, let me" The old doctor approached Raina with his Omni-tool ready. The girl instinctively stepped back but Lena took one of her hand and whispered something into her ears that calmed her.

Mordin's Omni-tool flared into life and complex equations in binary filled the screen. The chocker lightly hummed into life, prompting Lena to quietly prepare to strike in case the accursed object activates itself and….five tense seconds later it opened, slipping away from Raina's neck and clattering on the floor with a soft sound.

Lena was flabbergasted: that accursed thing, cause of so much suffering and constant reminder of her slavery….had been destroyed like that?! Was this some kind of joke?

"See? Done!" smiled Shepard. Lena's surprised face looked at him, then became marred with suspects.

"Now do you expect me to follow you?" asked Lena

"Of course not. I am not a slaver; I hate slavers and slavery in general and I would have helped you regardless to get free. I am here to offer you a job, no strings attached. If now you still decide to not follow me, opting instead for going on a rampage against who has enslaved you then I will not stop you. Hell, I might even decide to give you a hand. I actually find killing slavers quite therapeutical."

Lena looked at the spectre with an astonished face and gazed right into Shepard's eyes, searching any signs of treachery.

She found none.

"You are….an interesting person spectre. I am still not sure about this, but you certainly managed to catch my attention. I am willing to discuss it further, but not here. We have already abused too much of Keen's hospitality." said Lena at the end. Shepard inwardly smiled. It was not a yes, but still something.

Shepard and his squad moved near the exit after thanking Keen for the hospitality, shortly followed by Lena and Raina and right at that moment, disaster struck.

Maybe because she was a veteran of the arena, maybe a simple glimpse caught by her supernatural eyes, the important fact is that when Lena noticed a strange glimmer in the distance the Claymore reacted in an instant by grabbing Shepard's shoulder and dragging him inside the house, just a second before a sniper bullet hit the place where he was a second ago, destroying the door in the process.

"What the fuck?" cursed Shepard loudly but when he noticed the sniper bullet he, along with Mordin and Garrus, instinct kicked in and sought for cover all while Lena shielded Raina whit her own body. Garrus slowly unholstered his sniper rifle and started scanning the surrounding area.

"Mercenaries" stated Garrus darkly "Blue Suns. Dozens of soldiers, a sniper and a centurion. With them, there is a Turian dressed in formal clothing."

Lena's blood was frozen for an instant. Could it be?

"This Turian, describe it to me," said Lena

"Lena, I know you are inside." An icy and very familiar voice called her, confirming her fear in the process. It was T'Von

"T'Von, what the hell are you doing?" Asked Lena trying to make a sense of this mess. Had he already noticed the destruction of the collar?

"Sorry honey, you were not supposed to be involved in this mess, but alas it happened. Now I have no idea why your guest wants to speak with you and frankly, I do not care. What I do care is that your new human friend is nothing less than Odin Shepard, first human Spectre, saviour of the Council and a lot of other hogwash, but most important of all, a human with an enormous bounty on his head, a bounty that I and my blue suns friends want to take." His voice stopped for a moment

"Now that I think of it, you can be quite helpful. Kill him, Lena, you know the consequences if you defy me, do you not?"

For a second Lena's hand automatically went to her sword, so used was to obey T'Von's words, but she immediately stopped. This was her occasion: Raina was free, she was armed with her sword and thanks to that bastard she was more than capable to defeat dozens of mercenaries by herself now. She knew how they fought. She could open her way with the sword, kill T'Von and….and then what? Follow Shepard? He seemed a decent human being but was she really ready to throw herself to him? Was she really ready to trust him to that degree?

Shepard looked at Lena but remained silent. It was her choice and he had no right to sway her in any way. He could only hope for the best and be ready with his gun.

"Leena?" it was T'Von once again and it appeared irritated "Why are you not obeying? You do not want your spawn to die no?"

The bastard didn't know that Raina was with her and free from the slave collar. Lena bit her lips, wracked by indecision

What to do? What to do?

"Mum," said Raina while grabbing one of her arms "This is your chance. Please do not obey him. These people cannot be worse than him. Fight him, mum!"

Lena bitterly smiled. Someone had already decided

"Lena" intervened Keen also "I know that you are unsure about Shepard's offer, but Raina is right: it cannot be worse than here on Omega. Shepard is a good man, you can trust me in this. I am sure that he will treat you honourably, you just need to give him the chance."

Lena's shoulders slumped in mock defeat

"A righteous cause to follow, inhuman enemies to kill and a giant sum of money to receive." A small smile crept on her face "Just like old times on the island. Fine spectre, I am in! I am expecting a good payment, and we will iron out the kinks later, but Raina stay with me and I will not accept objections."

"Fine." replied Shepard happily "Now about the immediate problem." Lena interrupted him with a wave of her hand

"Do not worry about it. Just watch." a feral smile crept on her face "Take it as a….checking of the goods." Before he could reply Lena straightened up and went out, a sword in one hand and the now useless collar in the other.

-Time for a reckoning T'Von!- she thought with a savage grin. Her mind was already thinking at the dozens of different way she could kill T' von. Ooh, she could not wait.

* * *

T'Von saw Lena coming out from the Quarian's house with the sword unsheathed but not bloodied. Many triggers almost went out in surprise but the crime lord stopped them.

-Is she disobeying?-mused T'von worried -No It cannot be! She knows the consequences.-

"Orders?" asked the sniper

"Lena? What are you doing my dear? You do not want to see your daughter suffer, am I right." asked T'von with honey voice.

"My daughter is safe inside the house, away from you!" snarled Lena "And your chocker is here" the girl raised one of her arms showing the slave collar. A burst of Yoki and the collar was shattered under her iron hand.

T'Von's eyes almost bulged out from their sockets. How the hell?….No, this is impossible!

"You know" continued Lena imperterred "For two years I have been your slave. I had nowhere else to go after all, and you had Raina's life in your hand." The grin became a savage laughter

"But now I have a righteous cause to follow and you have lost your leverage against me." The sword glinted dangerously

"Die slaver!"

"Kill her!" cried T'Von losing his mind. A storm of bullets answered his call, an immense volume of fire that riddled the poor house with bullet-holes and destroyed everything that touched. But Lena had already disappeared.

-Where is she?! Where?!- asked T'Von in fear. The answer came when the sniper next to him launched a blood curling scream, his back now a bloody mess of broken bones and armour pieces. After that things went from bad to worse: Lena had been trained well, too well. Lena was a deadly blur, a shadow armed with sword impossible to hit. All the mercenaries desperately tried to hit the inhumanly fast Claymore but their bullet managed only to graze the furious Claymore while every time Lena's sword flashed someone died, his body horribly mauled. Not even the centurion managed to escape, his shied destroyed in one single thrust that skewered him like a shish kebab. After only one minute of fighting half the mercenaries were lying dead in the floor and the others totally panicked, but Lena did not relent and killed them one by one in particularly excruciating ways, giving free rein to her vengeance and filling the air with the screams of the dyings.

When Shepard looked at the carnage his eyes refused to believe at what they were seeing.

"Sweet God," he said going out from Keen's house and looking at the bodies. "Now I understand the pen-name. Are you always so brutal?"

No one answered him

"Lena?" still no answer and Shepard noticed that T'Von's body was missing. Quickly Shepard activated his Omni-tool and noticed immediately two people running; one a Turian, the other unknown."

"What the hell is she doing?" cursed Garrus

"Having her vengeance," answered Raina for them not bothered in the slightest by the carnage. All faces turned on her, waiting for an explanation

"Mum has been enslaved, beaten, raped, and humiliated, all because of him. Now she has the chance to have her vengeance and will not lose it. She will flay him alive." explained Raina with a neutral voice.

"For fuck's sake, she cannot be serious!" cursed Shepard "We risk a diplomatic disaster with Aria! Stealing a gladiator, I can deal with her but killing one of her most trusted subordinates? Hell no!" He immediately raced toward Lena, hoping to reach her in time.

* * *

T'Von was running for his life, his usually icy demeanour completely evaporated. The ambush was busted, Lena was free and his life was on the line! Not even in the worst possible outcome, he could have imagined such a situation!

-I need to reach Aria inside the VIP station!- kept repeating his panicked brain -Here I will be safe! Not even Lena is so insane to attack the Queen of Omega! Then I will find a way to deal with this mess! Yes, I will!-

T'Von raced with all the speed that his race possessed at running and all the various passersby let him pass, understanding that something wasn't right. The doors of the VIP rooms were near, just a minute, a couple of seconds….

Excruciating pain gripped T' von with an iron grip. The Turian screamed as he had never done before and jerked back, his left leg slashed by Lena's sword.

"Going somewhere, slaver?" said Lena's voice behind him. The cruel, sadistic edge resting inside her lips was unmistakable.

"Lena, please!" begged T' von while clutching the wounded legs

"I have not been so bad with you. I trained you, made you stronger than ever. Transformed you into one of the best that the galaxy can offer. That is why Shepard is here no? You can fight alongside a fucking legend! Have mercy!"

"Oh, but I will." snickered Lena. "I will be so merciful that I shall let you see just how much I have improved."

The Claymore raised her sword, ready to begin

"And you shall be the training dummy. Ready?"

"Ripper, stop immediately!" shouted a voice next to

her. Lena quickly turned and saw some guards aiming their guns at her. Only now Lena noticed that, in her mad chase, she reached the entrance of the Afterlife. These six fools were the guards on duty right now. Of various races, they all possessed Aria's symbol emblazoned on their armour and looked more than ready to fire.

"Go back to your quarter or"

Lena charged them without wasting a second, killing two guards with a single strike and chopping the remaining ones with quick, precise slashes.

They screamed and wailed as their flesh died under a storm of slashes, not understanding just what was happening. If only they had known the reality of the situation, they would have never tried to stop her.

"All done." happily chirped Lena, uncaring about the slaughter just committed "Now, about what I was saying, I think we" Lena's words died under her mouth when she noticed that T' von was gone, a small flash of blue blood the only sign left.

Lena's eyes darted like arrows, looking frantically for her prey. She quickly found him: battered, broken, leaking blue blood from his wound and dragging his miserable body toward the Afterlife's door.

"No!" roared Lena. She pumped her body with all the Yoki she could muster, sprinting toward T' von like a beast. She was close, so so close.

Lena's sword hit the door of the Afterlife like a thunder, just a second too late. His target was gone.

Lena roared at the door. She slashed, jabbed and hit the door with her sword with all the strength she possessed. Sparks flew like small birds and the metal groaned under the pressure.

T' Von had to die! Nothing would stop her for this. Not the guards, not their weapons, not this cursed door! Not even hell itself!

She wanted to tear him apart! To make him beg for his miserable life and

"Lena, enough!" stated Shepard's voice behind her. Lena tried to ignore him and kept hitting the door. In response to this Shepard placed a hand on her shoulders and gently forced her to stop

"It is over. I know that you desire vengeance, and I understand why. But right now that Turian is inside Aria's personal throne chamber. You have lost him."

"Never!" snarled Lena back, escaping from Shepard's hands "I will have my vengeance! He will"

A pleading sound, coming from inside the Afterlife, caught Lena's ears. It was T' von's voice, it was unmistakable for Lena. Curious, the girl stopped speaking and opened her ears, trying to understand what she was saying.

A second later, she heard the sound of a gun firing.

"You heard it?" asked Lena to Shepard. The commander nodded but could not give her an answer.

Then, all of a sudden, the damaged door of the Afterlife slowly cranked into life, opening itself despite the heavy damage with a plaintive sound, revealing two people.

One was Aria, the queen of Omega. Dressed in her usual clothing, one hand gripped a small machine gun and her usually stoic face was twisted with rage.

Next to her was T' von, dead. His body slumped on the floor like a doll without its strings. The reason for the death, a massive hole resting between his eyes.

The last thing both Shepard and Lena had expected to see.

"Lena." snarled Aria to the Claymore, her voice blazing with restrained fury "Are you done with your temper tantrum?"

"Glad to see you too, Aria, " replied Lena with equal fury. The Claymore pointed her sword at T' von's body "You did it?"

"I had ordered to leave Shepard and his cronies alone, and he disobeyed." replied Aria "I have only one way of dealing with disobedience."

Lena replied by looking at Aria with a hateful look, reciprocated by the crime lady.

"Aria," Shepard tried to defuse the situation "we,"

"Spare it, Shepard!" Snapped Aria back "I should kill where you stand for daring to not inform me about your little stunt inside MY REIGN! You are alive only because you warned me about that conspiracy you discovered being aimed at me! Don't push your luck! About you, Lena..."

Lena gripped the pommel of her sword even harder, ready to pounce at Aria with all her strength. Right at that moment, Shepard noticed many small dots of light dancing around the Claymore's body. Laser tracers. At least five snipers were ready to fire at Lena, and Aria herself was no pushover either.

This was not good, at all.

Fear and excitement chocked the air, Shepard could feel it. He quietly opened a secluded pouch placed inside his armour, one where he kept some grenades, just in case.

If push comes to shove, he was more than ready to pre-

"Do whatever you want. You are free."

This phrase disoriented both Shepard and Lena for a second. They both blinked more than once, not believing in what they were hearing.

"Aria, you" began Shepard

"What else should I do at this point?!" snapped back angrily the queen of Omega "I know her, Shepard. T' von could command her only because her little spawn was in her hands. Now? Now she is untamable! And I have no need of a rabid Varren inside my reign!"

Saying that Shepard had expected this would have been the lie of the century. The Commander was speechless right now: Aria, the queen of Omega and one of the most dangerous criminals of the galaxy was giving up? Were his ears playing with his brain or something?

"Maybe I should end you here and now, Aria." spat Lena with venom "After all, T' von enslaved me because you wanted a new pet for your arena."

Slivers of biotic energies immediately appeared inside Aria's hands. Her entire body trembled with power and the queen of Omega looked at Lena right into the eyes now harder than steel

"You are welcome to try, stripling." The air itself started shimmering in front of the Asari, each word laced with such power that many of the people now witnessing this standoff instinctively backed away, but not Lena.

Two predators of immense strength and power battled against each other, both ready to pounce at the other and end this charade in blood. Everyone around her, from Shepard to Aria's bodyguards were sweating bullets right now. The winner in such a clash was impossible to determine, but they all knew that such monsters would have destroyed half the station if they decided to fight.

Thankfully, after some tense seconds, Lena relented.

"No, Aria." she said to the queen in the end "I am satisfied, for now. Shepard," the girl turned toward the Commander

"I am now ready to follow you if you still accept me."

"I do" answered Shepard, happy that it was finally over "Let's go for my ship. Sorry for the mess Aria."

"Just get out of my sight!" snarled Aria back

And so they left, the Spectre and the Claymore. Followed for hours by hundreds of eyes and even more guns, but no one dared to molest her.

Such a story would be sung inside the station for years: the day when someone managed to strike almost at the heart of the queen and were still allowed to escape. Many wondered just why the queen allowed to simply escape, who were these people capable of such a feat. Many others thought that the Aria was going soft, that it was time to replace her.

In the following days, many idiots died alone and forgotten in the darkest corners of Omega.

If only they could have noticed the small sliver of sadness residing inside the queen's eyes, a sliver quickly quashed, when she saw Lena disappearing from her sight. Or hearing the words she muttered to herself when she was finally alone.

"I will miss you, my beautiful tiger."

But no one was close enough.

 **So here is part four. A bit long but I hope acceptable. For whoever is wondering this Shepard is a spacer, war hero mostly Paragon but not full paladin-mode. Class soldier**

 **As always please comment and tell me if you like it**

 **Have good day boys and girls!**


	6. Chapter 6 meeting the crew-first mission

**Chapter 6**

 **meeting the crew and first mission**

 **So here part six, where Lena became an official part of the crew and embark on her first mission: freeing Jack. How will it end?**

 **As always I am not gaining anything from all of this etcetera etcetera**

 **p.s. thanks to the guest that noticed the grammar mistake in the description. Solved now**

 **Normandy s-r 2. One hour after Lena's liberation**

"So this is your ship." commented Lena looking at the deck of the Normandy with Raina next to her. The intern of the ship was in a way similar to Aran's, but even her untrained eyes noticed that it was far more advanced that the smuggler's one. All around her men and women of various age and rank milled and worked near dozens of terminals or simply walked with data-pads in hand searching for someone; one of said person, a redhead with a cheerful expression immediately reached Shepard with the newcomers and greeted them after noticing their presence.

"Welcome back commander! I assume the mission was a success?"

"It was Kelly." answered Shepard with a grin. Mordin and Garrus had already left for their stations so he was alone with Lena and Raina right now. "She is Lena, previously known only as the Ripper. I have to discuss some details with her so could you please show Raina their room?" Kelly noticed only now that Lena had some company and for a second remained mesmerized by Raina's beauty

"What? Who is?" asked the counsellor confused

"She is my daughter." finished Lena curtly "Is this a problem?"

"No no! Just surprised." answered Kelly with a smile and lowering herself to Raina's level.

"Hello princess, what is your name?"

"R-Raina." simply said the child a bit scared by the newcomer's cheerful behavior

"Aaah, you have such a cute voice!" cooed Kelly with a smile and gently grabbed her hand.

"Do not worry for her Lena." Shepard assured Lena "Kelly is unable to even harm an ant. She will treat her as if she is made of porcelain."

Raina for a second tried to avoid her but Lena gently encouraged her with a smile. This convinced the child that finally took Kelly's hand and let her guide her next to an elevator at the end of the room.

They quickly disappeared from Lena's eyes, Kelly cheerfully discussing with Raina and gently guiding her without being too forceful.

"Now, let's discuss about your payment. I have already a sum in my mind but I am open for negotiations. My Co is already inside her office, ready to finish the deal."

"Right, the deal." sighted Lena "Let's get on with it."

 **One hour later. Miranda's room**

"Half a million credits." said a tall brunette with icy eyes seated on a chair near Lena; the girl's name was Miranda Lawson and, apparently, was both some kind of second in command and a warrior; an interesting person surely, but there was something strange about her, some kind of feeling of kinship that the Claymore was unable to understand. It did not helped the fact that said girl looked at her as if she was some kind of challenge of her own existence.

She was holding on her hands a data-pad waiting for Lena to sign it. "This is quite the sum but Shepard assured me that you deserve every single bit. Just sign here" Lena signed the pad, with some difficulty because she was better at reading than writing but no one commented about that if they noticed.

"Now the contract is signed. You will receive the sum tomorrow inside your omni-tool account. Good to have you aboard agent Lena, now if you do not mind I have some paper work to do now so could you please leave my office?" It was an order masqueraded as a request and both of them quickly complied.

"Colder than the ice of the north." commented Lena when they were out of Miranda's office. Shepard simply laughed at this

"Miranda?! Yes she is but I have to admit that she is the best Co I have ever met. Talking about something else: are you sure you want to keep your daughter inside the ship? Now you know what are we fighting. This ship is not a safe place for her."

"And where would that safe place be?" retaliated Lena "She is like me, with the only difference that I can defend myself while she cannot, yet. The only place where she is truly safe is near me." Lena crossed her arms in a definitive manner

"As I said this is not negotiable."

Shepard yielded in defeat.

"Fine, I can recognize a lost cause when I see one. I will tell Kelly to give you a hand; raising a child inside a space ship is not easy, I know this by experience, but with some luck she will fit just fine. Now, my first order as your commander is to go to the infirmary and be checked up by our doctor." Lena stopped moving for a moment.

"Is there some problem Lena." Lena bit her lip, nervous.

"It is just….doctors are the people that made me into what I am today, and not by choice. I do not love them." Shepard looked at her in sympathy but refused to budge.

"I understand your uncertainty but Karin is not some kind of evil-nazi doctor and does not want to open your body as a tin can all while laughing maniacally. She is the best and most compassionate doctor of the entire Alliance and has all my trust." Noticed that the girl's face was still marred with uncertainty he decided to be a bit more forceful.

"This is not negotiable." he said, using her own words

"…. As you wish Shepard." said Lena departing from the commander. After some second she stopped confused

"Eem, where is the infirmary?" she asked. Shepard almost face palmed, he should have expected that.

"EDI, accompany agent Lena to the infirmary." said Shepard to no one and miraculously a floating blue ball appeared near Lena and started talking to her all while creating various arrows pointing somewhere.

"Miss Lena, follow the arrows please. They will bring you to the infirmary." Lena jumped on her place and looked at the floating ball as if was some kind of monster.

"Ah yes, we have an artificial intelligence inside the ship. Lena, she is EDI. EDI, Lena." said Shepard wrongfully believing to understand why she was so surprised and scared.

-A….what?!- thought a flabbergasted Lena. She had some basic knowledge of this strange, new universe thanks to T'Von but this was on a whole new level. A living yet artificial creature?

"Pleasure to meet you agent Lena. I assure you that I will not kill you in your sleep." Said this EDI, maybe trying to break the ice. Lena simply looked at her incredulous for a second, then shrugged.

"You know what Shepard, do not tell me anything. It does not matter at this point. Well, lead the way...miss EDI." Shepard smiled amused by Lena's reaction. That had been an interesting conversation to say the least.

* * *

Finding the infirmary in the end proved to be quite easy, it was one of the few doors in the second deck of the ship, just right by the mess hall. Upon entering inside the small white room filled with scanners, beds and medicines an elderly woman on her fifties with silver hairs greeted her with motherly voice, still powerful and strong despite the age. She was dressed with a for-fitting white coat adorned with a strange, golden symbol on her left shoulder and was currently sitting on a chair next to a desk. Lena needed only a glance to see the steel inside her; this woman was not to be trifled with.

"Miss Lena? Greetings, I am Karin Chackwas, chief doctor of the ship. Shepard warned me about your arrival and your….distrust about people like me. I understand your reasons and I will assure that I will only make some superficials scans, just what is necessary to know if you are healthy. I am sure that we will be done in a second."

A bitter smile crept on Lena's face. She doubted about that.

The girl gracefully sit on one of the medical bed, waiting for the doctor.

"Have I to strip?" asked with neutral tone.

"Please yes, dear." Answered the doctor while grabbing some strange devices. "I assure you I have no ill intention. Besides you can kill me with a finger without breaking a sweat if I ever tried."

Lena sighted and stripped from her shirt, revealing the giant scar possessed by all the Claymores. The doctor visibly paled but, on her honor, did not flinched and started to work.

 **Two hours later**

The scans and examinations were finally completed and Lena was already dressing up. In the mean time the good doctor did something completely out of her character, but necessary this time: she took a bottle of Serrice from her personal canteen and gulped a long shot. She never did something like this, something so unprofessional, but what she discovered from Lena, both by scanning her body and speaking with her, left the good doctor's blood frozen.

The girl, Lena, had been infected by some kind of hype-aggressive parasitic creature unknown to any biological records; said parasite had invaded most of Lena's body, concentrating mostly of the girl's brain but leaving in the end no single cell of her untouched.

Besides changing the color of her eyes and hairs, essentially making the girl an albino, the parasite was able to dramatically increase her muscle mass and bone density beyond human limits, essentially temporary transforming Lena in another creature entirely, at the price of terrible physical and mental stress capable of breaking even the most trained people in the galaxy. But what really disgusted Karin was that someone had done this to Lena purposely.

A surgeon, Karin immediately recognized the signs on Lena's chest. A surgeon that performed his disgusting work on tied up children (Lena during the check-in had told her that she had been submitted to this treatment at the age of five and not voluntarily), opened them without anesthesia or proper equipment and even refused to mend them in a decent way! Karin could not still believe at the lack of professionalism and humanity of the surgeon responsible of the operation. He even used iron threads and non-sterilized stitches to close a one meter and half long gash covering all the girl's body!

Whoever was this surgeon, he spitted at every oath and medical law known in the galaxy! The doctor looked at the girl, now dressed up and ready to go; her face showed nothing of the hell she had to have endured but Karin could still see it in her body.

-What have they done to you, Lena?-

"Miss Lena, I am done with the analysis and….God I do not know what to say! Your case is unique in the history of medicine. I would love to tell you that I can do something for you, but the truth is that I do not know what to do. However I am promising you that I will find a way to at least stabilize your peculiar condition; this is one of the most advanced ship in the galaxy and with me there is Mordin Solus, the most brilliant mind even born in Salarian space. Together we will find a way to at least lessen your condition."

Lena did not even commented. Such words were ringed hollow in her ears, because she already knew that the demon inside her was irrevocably linked inside her body, but still decided against telling the good doctor about this.

The bad news for Karin were not over yet, and her mind sighted when thinking at the second most disgusting thing noticed when analyzing the girl's body. This horror was far more familiar and human, in a way, but not less unacceptable.

"Miss Chambers, immediately in the infirmary." ordered the good doctor inside her omni-tool, and after less than a minute the same redhead that greeted Lena and accompanied her daughter inside their new home entered inside the room, curios about the reason of her summoning.

"Miss Lena" began the doctor after waiting for Kelly to sit next to her "Forced genetic manipulation can be a traumatic experience for the human body, but it is not the only one that I have noticed and that is the reason why I have called specialist Chamber; as the ship's counselor she can help you cope with this kind of trauma. Shepard told me that you have been probably forced to accept some sexual partners inside your bed, but I can tell apart a semi-forced affair from a rape and you, three years ago, have been raped by someone, am I right?"

Lena raised an eyebrow in surprise. This doctor was quite good, or the devices she used almost magical! She had almost forgotten that particular day.

Near her the girl, Chamber, paled visibly; for the news or for Lena's utter lack of reaction, the Claymore was not sure.

"Yes you are, doctor."

"Who?" simply asked Karin

"Does it matter?"

"Of course it does!" this time the doctor's voice was akin to a snarl, all her composure gone in a heartbeat.

"This is the worst possible crime that a person can suffer and cannot be left unpunished! You must tell us who is the bastard, or bastards; besides Shepard is a Specter and can arrest even a bloody admiral if necessary!"

"Is a relative? Or a friend? That is why you tried to not talk about it with the doctor?" asked Kelly trying to understand the girl's silence. Lena looked at both of them and deeply sighted. It was clear that they wanted the truth and would not have accepted no as an answer.

"You must know something about me, doctor. In the planet where I come from I am not the only mutated soldier that roam around. There are dozens of us, and until just some years ago we were trained and commanded by a cadre of people that conditioned and brainwashed us for years. They educated, no forced us to never kill a human being no matter the situation while at the same time making sure that the human population looked at us with contempt and disdain and by doing so making sure that we were left alone and without allies. This procedure worked for a long time, but brought with it certain side effects: most of my companions are in fact like me, women on their prime and perfectly fit and when some rowdy boys and girls discover than the hated -silver eyed witches-, this is how they usually call us, cannot fight them back then some ideas start boiling inside their minds."

Both the doctor and the counselor's faces were now warped in disgust. They quickly understood the meaning of Lena's words

"About my personal condition, well….i remember that happened exactly three years ago, as you have noticed. I had just finished dealing with a particular exhausting job and decided to sleep a bit next to a tree placed on the outskirt of the city. I was so tired that I noticed the small group stalking me only when it was too late." Lena took a moment to clearly remember that particular day. The details were unclear at this point, but some things were marked with fire inside her mind.

"They were five, three men and two women. When I finally regained consciousness I was already half-naked and without my sword. I could still have shrugged them off but when I noticed that the attackers were humans my mind simply….shut down because of the training and let them do whatever they wanted. I do not remember how long it lasted because I fainted after the fourth time; what I remember is waking up the day later covered in dirt and bruises and feeling pain all over my body; my uniform was torn in pieces and my handler was next to me, carrying my sword and telling me that rest-time was over and he had another job for me."

"And he did nothing?! Not even searching the culprits?!" cried Kelly in disbelief

"As I said" answered Lena calmly "For them we were less than animals."

A deadly silence pervaded the room, both the doctor and the counsellor incapable to even utter a word. Lena simply straightened up and went for the door;

"Doctor, I appreciate your kind words but I am fine, physically and mentally. Until we meet again." Lena opened the metal door and left the infirmary.

"Wait!" said a voice before she could disappear. It was Kelly's voice "As a counsellor I have the duty of speaking with all the crew of the ship, helping them cope with stress and problems, especially if they are field agents like you. I can free two hours every Monday for you if you wish; I will not force you to speak about something that you do not desire but please, consider it before outright refusing it." it was more a plea than a proposal

"I will consider it." simply said Lena. A second later she was already gone.

 **5 march. Normandy S-r 2. Quartermaster's office**

"So...how does it feel?" asked Jacob. Lena flexed both her arms and legs now encased inside her new armor, checking the flexibility of the metal. A smile crept on her face when she noticed that her movements were not limited in the slightest.

"Now it is perfect Jacob, thanks for the patience!" beamed Lena happily

The armor that she was now wearing was a prototype armor made by one of the many blacksmiths firms that dotted this strange universe. Kassa Fabrication was their names, if Lena recalled correctly. It was a light armor made with a single, massive titanium block and improved with various strata of kevlar and Iridium allowing it to absorb, along with its shields, a deceptively amount of punishment before being destroyed. Apart from that the armor possessed a medical VI, micro-magnets installed on the gloves and servomotors installed on the legs, allowing for better handling and faster movements. But the true marvel was the helmet: small and easy to handle, it did not hampered vision in the slightest but at the same time possessed a peculiar interface that linked it self with the optic nerves of the wielder, allowing the small computer inside it to immediately hit whatever the soldier was looking at. For almost one year this small engineering marvel remained sealed inside a crate, not because it was defective but because there was no creature in the galaxy capable to handle such unique system! The subjects were simply too slow in their reactions times….until now.

Finding this armor had been quite the chore for both Lena and the quartermaster, a young man with dark skin and pleasant face called Jacob that screamed military training every time he moved; for two days both of them scoured the Normandy's armory, searching for something that would have suited Lena's peculiar fighting style. It was clear that medium or heavy armor was a no go for her, too heavy and bulky; at the same time the light armors used by infiltrators and biotics were too flimsy and fragile for her fighting style. Jacob, if he was annoyed by this unexpected problem, showed nothing about it and helped Lena for two days without complaining for even a second, always ready to help, always smiling and treating her as a soldier, not as a monster.

If Shepard's companions were all like him, thought Lena during the search, then it will not be that bad staying here.

After the second day the couple found the experimental armor that Lena was now trying for one last time; the Claymore had literally fallen in love with it and Jacob, amused, simply surrendered. Once assembled and tested Jacob occupied himself by reactivating and preparing it, all while Lena decided to paint it with a bright, silver color in memory of her days as a Claymore. Jacob, instead of being angry, looked at her and nodded with approval, saying something about the newbies being the only ones that do not personalize their stuff.

"No problem Lena, it is my job and besides, I wanted to know you." answered Jacob with a smile

"Oh really?!" said Lena "And why?"

"Because you are a damned legend." said Jacob while working at the armor "A human that can kill a Krogan armed only with a sword? Looks more like a drunken's tale than anything else, but some days ago Shepard let the crew look at the video-feed captured by Garrus's helmet when you fought against those mercenaries. Man that was brutal! And cool!"

The smile in the man's face disappeared a second later, substituted by uncertainty

"There is something that I have to ask you thought: are you capable to follow orders? You are clearly a capable fighter but here we work as a team, and a team must fight together."

If Lena was angry for Jacob's veiled accusation she hid it well, because her answer was looking at the soldier with uncertain eyes for a second before answering him

"Shepard told you to ask me? No matter. I have not been only a gladiator during my life and I fought side by side with squads of others warriors like me." Her mind recoiled back at the first time she participated to an awakened hunt with hers companions.

"And I know that in the midst of a battle the orders of your commander are akin to the one of the Goddesses, unquestionable and always right. I only hope that Shepard will give me the chance to prove it."

"I am sure that it will soon happen, after all we"

"All agents are to immediately report on the briefing room." Announced EDI all of a sudden interrupting them. Jacob smiled at her.

"Speak of the devil!" smiled Jacob. They both quickly dressed and armed themselves; a second later they were already out to the armory.

* * *

After less than five minutes all of Shepard's operatives, barring Mordin that had been excused because he was busy with the Collector's countermeasures, were armed and ready next to him; the briefing room was a simple rectangular room empty of any kind of furnitures but a long and luxurious wooden table now surrounded by warriors armed to the teeth. At the head of the table a fully armed Shepard clicked something on his omni-tool and immediately the image of an enormous ship was displayed for all to see.

For Lena this was the first time she met all the agents that would have fought together with her: on her right there were Miranda, Jacob and Garrus and she already knew them; on her left an old mercenary with scarred face called Zaeed and a smirking, hooded girl with the name of Kasumi. They were all armed, although all in different ways according of their roles.

"Boys and girls" began Shepard "Today's mission is quite simple: we must retrieve a prisoner from the prison ship called Purgatory, managed by Blue suns mercenaries. His name is Jack and apparently he is the strongest human biotic in the entire galaxy."

"Sooo" asked Garrus "We have to attack the ship guns blazing and free this Jack fellow and even destroy the ship in the process?" A pair of voices chortled at the jibe; Miranda instead snorted annoyed.

"Nothing like that. Cerberus has already payed for Jack's release. We only have to go and take him, a simple routine mission."

This time the entire room was filled with laugher, either bitter or plain genuine.

"What is the matter now?!" asked Miranda annoyed

"You just said that this shall be a routine mission" answered Zaeed with a gruff "And so now is almost certain than everything will go down to the shitter."

"New Eden shall be a simple mission" said Shepard mimicking her old superior's voice "And look what happened next!"

"My first mission as a Marine" added Jacob "Simple mission, yet I almost died."

Lena was also lost in her own memories, she still remembered the day the organization recalled all Claymores inside their headquarters for a routine check. It was the day Phantom Miria challenged the organization by herself and the world changed for all Claymores.

"Well this time it will be different!" finally snapped Miranda bringing all of them back to reality, clearly annoyed by the lack of gravity showed by the agents and the commander.

"Maybe" conceded Shepard with a smile "But it will be better take some precaution. Lena, Jacob, you are with me. Zaeed, Garrus and Miranda will be ready to repel any boarders. Kasumi, you should not be needed but stand by just in case."

"Yes Shepard!" quipped Kasumi with her mischievous smile. All the agents acted without a word, too professionals to waste time in idle chatters now that the mission was clear. Lena was also quiet, but her mind a raging volcano: it was finally time to show Shepard that she was ready to fight and a trusty warrior. In all due honesty she was simply happy to be able to fight and move once again: these days inside the Normandy had been dull beyond belief; the room was beautiful and comfy but nothing else, Kelly a sweet girl always trying to chat with her but a tad too insistent at times. Lena was not a bloodthirsty murderer but she still was a warrior, idleness did not suited her.

 **Prison ship Purgatory. Ten minutes after the briefing**

The squad had just entered inside the infamous prison ship after finishing the decontamination procedure. The ship itself, judging by the preliminary scans, was nothing incredible: a series of metal corridors followed by dozens of minuscule cells packed to the brim with the filth of the galaxy; at the center of it other more important systems like life support were away from the dangerous convicts.

"Commander Shepard, welcome to the Purgatory." greeted a Blue suns officer; behind him a picket of soldiers were waiting patiently, arms ready but not raised.

"I have to ask you and your agents to leave your weapons to us. You will receive them back once your business here is finished."

Shepard's answer was pointing his shotgun straight into the officer's face, quickly followed by Jacob's gun; Lena simply prepared a grenade without never stop looking at the soldiers.

"I will not relinquish my weapons, and neither will do my agents!"

The blue suns officer, honor where is due, did not lose his composure and tried once again to reach a pacific solution.

"Sir, is the rule: no outsider is allowed to enter inside the complex with any kind of weapon."

"Then you will make an exception for us." curtly answered Shepard.

The situation was a stand still, and for a second Lena thought than the time for speaking was over; the triggers were ready and the mercenaries on the verge of firing. Then, all of a sudden, another blue suns officer, a Turian mercenary with an old, scarred face, stopped the potential bloodbath putting himself between Shepard and the mercs. He was armed with a sniper rifle and missed the traditional markings used by his species. Lena heard Garrus swearing quietly in the intercom while inside the ship.

"A spirit-damned barefaced bastard!"

"Get a hold on yourselves soldiers!" said the officer with authoritarian voice "The board decided that Shepard and his companions have the right of keeping their weapons during the visit. I am sure that we will not have problems in dealing with three people if worse come to worse."

The Turian turned to Shepard and showed him a long, narrow corridor.

"Please follow me commander, your package is almost ready. I am guardian Kurkil and I manage this installation. We are just dealing with the final procedures."

-So they waited.- mused Shepard while following the guardian, his companions behind him -Quite strange and unprofessional. Careful Shepard.-

The walk lasted five minutes, all filled with the images of dozens of minuscule cages and narrow corridors while Kurkil entertained his guests by talking about the noble goal of keeping this enormous space prison running, all for the safety of the people of the galaxy.

Shepard simply let him speak, leaving his thoughts for himself. He personally believed that this space prison was only an elaborate scam used to blackmail various sector in paying exorbitance sums of money unless they wanted to have a dangerous convict free to roam inside their planets.

So much for being guardians and street sweepers of the galaxy! But Shepard was a diplomat as well as a soldier so he simply stayed silent and answered politely; behind him out of the corner of his eyes he noticed the Lena instead was fuming.

Finally the walk ended in a big square room filled with desks and chairs, probably some kind of sorting room used to deal with prisoners exchange. It was empty; Jack was not here, neither were here the people necessary for the transfer. The only thing visible was a small cell placed at the end of the room, still closed. All in all this was the perfect place to pin down a small group of soldier using mass firepower.

"Wait here commander, soon you shall have your convict." Said Kurkil before excusing himself and leaving them alone. Soon the room was filled with a deadly quietness

"Sooo?" asked Shepard sarcastically "A trap?"

"Surely" answered Jacob

"Definitively!" supplied Lena.

The same thing was said by all the others agents inside the ship

"As I suspected, and I am ready to bet that the cell in front of us is just waiting for three new guests." sighted Shepard "Why the galaxy love to give us so many problems?"

"Kurkil!" shouted Shepard near a camera "We know that this is a trap! Reveal yourself."

Kurkil's voice answered almost immediately from the cameras

"Sorry Shepard, but you are more valuable as prisoner than buyer. Drop your weapons and surrender."

"Surely you jest!" said Shepard trying to use diplomacy "What happened to all your discussions about being a guardian of the universe?"

"Activate systems! All soldiers pursue to subdue!" was Kurkil's answer. Shepard in response destroyed the camera with a well placed shotgun shell

"Your funeral idiot! Jacob, ready your biotic! Lena, stay behind cover and use only grenades. Charge only when I tell you to do so!"

"Roger Shepard!" both said in unison. The three of them capsized chairs and tables, creating an improvised barricade to use against the incoming enemies. The scanners were showing at least a dozen of humanoid signs, quickly followed by a couple of mechanical one.

-Mechs and soldiers!- thought Shepard -The bastard is underestimating us, or he does not want to destroy us too much.-

The first group of enemies entered inside the building, five soldiers firing wildly inside the room hoping to hit something with their furious attack or at least force Shepard and his companions to stay down. A futile hope: Shepard and the others were well protected by the barricade and the moment the mercenaries entered Shepard's shotgun blasted a human mercenary to pieces. Two others were killed by Jacob's biotics and the last ones died thanks to a well aimed grenade. The first wave was out of the game but it was clearly not over.

"Lena!" barked Shepard to the girl "Trow a Flash-bang past the door and then, charge!"

"With pleasure Shepard!" grinned Lena. A small cylindrical object flied immediately from her hands, exploding some seconds later outside the door. Cries of pain and surprise followed the small explosion and Lena capitalized the advantage and charged outside the door, sword already in hand and golden eyes hungry for battle. For a single second Shepard felt some regret for the poor wretched that she was about to battle.

* * *

"Reform the ranks you maggot!" bellowed a Batarian centurion against his soldiers still dazed by the Flash-bang. Unlike his minion his more advanced armor had managed to absorb the flash without much of a problem, but this was not a valid reason for them to doze off during work.

"Reform them before" her words were cut down by a sudden screeching sound. Curios the centurion turned his head in search of the cause. What he saw left him speechless.

A human girl with golden eyes had just charged them and thrown one dog-type mech against a bunch of humanoids one, effectively destroying all their robotic support in one swing; how she managed to do that the centurion had no idea considering that those mechs weighted hundreds of kilos each. A soldier near her tried to take advantage of the situation and aimed at the girl's neck, but the accursed woman beheaded him in one second using a sword off all weapons! The centurion was a veteran of the Blue suns, a warrior who had fought against rival mercenaries gangs, Quarians, Krogans, even Geth once, but a sword-wielding human? No that was a first even for him!

"Focus fire maggots!" barked the centurion "Bury her with bullets!" his soldiers tried to obey, and a frantic but unsteady hail of bullets grazed the strange armored human, slowing her butchery work but not stopping it. Three other soldiers died because of her blade and of course Shepard used that time to storm the room and attack their position along with the biotic! Bullets and blood now flied freely inside the corridor and the remaining Blue Suns's soldiers started to die like flies. The centurion tried to scramble away in a desperate run but something grabbed his shoulder and slammed him against the wall with so much force than he felt something breaking inside the armor. Dazed, the batarian tried to focus and grab his sidearm but his attacker stopped him by twisting his right arm with one brutal crack making him cry in pain.

"Going somewhere?" asked a deep, bestial voice. It was the girl's one but her eyes, even if partially masked by her helmet, were now yellow and Varren like.

The last thing the centurion saw was the monstrous human slamming him on the ground, breaking the skull and shattering all his four eyes while doing so.

* * *

"Good Lord" said in disbelief Jacob while surveying the carnage "I already saw her on the video-tape but seeing in person is….absurd!" Shepard said nothing.

Lena was now covered from head to toe in blood, her calm expression behind the helmet quite unsuitable in Shepard's opinion. Bodies, or part of them, were strewn every where on the corridor; the mechs a pile of junk still sparking and twitching and Shepard noticed that some bodies had their eyes frozen in total fear, as if they had been attacked by a terrifying beast just before dying.

Judging by Lena's actual dreadful appearance maybe they were not wrong.

"Lena, what is going on?" asked Jacob after noticing the yellow eyes. This time Shepard reacted and pointed his shotgun at the girl.

Lena refused to react, instead she simply forced the yoki to recede and looked at both of them with calm eyes.

"It is my yoki Jacob, what allow me to be the Ripper. Do not worry, I can control it without problem."

"Yoki?" said Jacob confused "Is some kind of big bad mojo stuff that transform you in a berserker?!" Lena smiled at the paragon

"Something like that."

"You really need to be thoroughly checked by Karin, Lena." said in the end Shepard just before lowering the shotgun "Come on now, we wasted too much time already."

No one else tried to stop them, if scared by Lena's show or simply waiting for an ambush Shepard didn't cared at the moment, and the group quickly reached a small control station manned by a single individual quickly killed by Jacob with a well placed shot.

"EDI, I am giving you access to a blue suns terminal." said Shepard activating his omni-tool "Use it to awaken Jack and get him out of here!"

"Using this terminal I can only open all the cells inside the ship." answered EDI "Their protection system are too advanced for such a selective procedure."

Shepard cursed loudly: the ship was packed to the brim with assassins, rapist, criminals of every kind all mixed with the few innocents. Opening all the cells would have surely created a riot and killed hundreds of people in the process, but the alternative was attacking the center of this enormous ship and hacking the main computer all while trying to defeat God knows how many Blue suns mercenaries.

Both terrible ideas, but Shepard had to chose one.

"Alright EDI, open them all."

"As you wish Shepard."

And so she did: after three seconds of work all the prisoners were all of a sudden free and the mayhem expected from Shepard began in the earnest. The enemies's comms started getting filled with panicked cries, barking orders and the shouting of the now free prisoners. The ship itself shuddered and groaned when something exploded inside it and red light started blaring everywhere.

In the midst of all this chaos a single, cryostat cell was being opened just below Shepard's position, finally freeing subject 0 from his slumber

"Wait" said Lena surprised "She is Jack?"

Jack was a girl of her mid-twenties with a petite body completely covered in tattoos and strange markings. She was bald and covered only with a strip of leather barely covering her nipples and a pair of pants.

The girl slowly opened her eyes, still weak and dizzy, but when she noticed that she was finally free she snarled and screamed like an animal destroying her manacles in the process. Three heavy mech activated in an instant, their purpose subduing the dangerous subject 0 but the girl, instead of being at least a bit scared by the impending menace simply charged them growling like a mad-woman and recalling her biotics. A second later a powerful tremor shook the ship and all the heavy mechs were a pile of junk on the floor

"Seriously?" asked Jacob in disbelief "Did she just….destroyed three heavy mech in one hit?"

"We would not be here if she was your average biotic." answered Shepard "Let's move before she somehow destroy the ship by herself."

And so they did, following Jack's destructive trail of bodies, junks and rubble for almost twenty minutes, meeting only meagre resistance in the form of weakened guards and raging prisoners. Finally their race ended when they reached one of the main room of the station just before the main staircase from the escape pods, now an enormous battle ground for dozens of guards and prisoners. Cries and gunfires filled the air and the now dented floor was slick with blood; some prisoners were armed and were firing back against their hated jailers now led by Kurkil in person and aided by a heavy mech now busy blasting enemies into oblivion.

In short, a total hellhole.

"Ok boys and girls. Stay low and fire only if necessary. Let them kill themselves."

Said Shepard before jumping without hesitation in the bloody melee. Jacob and Lena promptly followed him.

They did as they intended, avoiding most of the fighting and keeping a low profile; this way they managed to avoid most of the battle and fought only against a couple of blue suns mercs trying to outflank the prisoners and some crazed convicts charging at them armed only with rusted pieces of metal. However when they reached Kurkil the dance changed: the aged guardian was perched on some kind of elevated platform protected by a shimmering shield powered by four energy pillars. From that vantage point he blasted all the convicts that tried to escape past him and immediately redirected his fire against Shepard when he saw him, forcing the commander to take cover

"Damn you Shepard!" he cursed while firing at him and scattering all the team for cover "With your bounty I could have lived for all my life as a king! No matter, you are still valuable even as dead and after killing you I will retake Jack!"

"You should have accepted the bounty, Kurkil!" shouted in response Shepard. He along with Jacob tried to fire against Kurkil but he was too far away and the shield too strong for their weapons. The remaining mercenaries were more an annoyance at this point, so battered and weakened because of the battle against the dozens of convicts, so he simply ordered Jacob of dealing with them.

"Lena, would you be able to sprint all the way up to Kurkil's position in less than five seconds?" asked Shepard to Lena between various gun shots. The girl looked at the distance for some seconds and then simply nodded in Shepard's direction

"Good to know. Charge when the shield is down." Shepard sprinted all of a sudden away from his cover, running as fast as he could and avoiding at least five shots from Kurkil; his shotgun boomed two times and in response both the energy pylons exploded in a shower of blue energy and metal fragment, stunning Kurkil and most of the remaining mercenaries for some precious seconds.

"Now Lena!" cried Shepard while retreating. Lena reacted faster than lightning and charged against Kurkil's position, her sword drawn and ready. She literally flied like an angel, too fast for the mortal eyes and a dazed Kurkil noticed the impending menace only when she was almost on him and raised his sniper rifle for one last time!

The rifle roared, just a second before Lena slashed at him and decapitated the old guardian with a single strike. His body, now lifeless, stumbled down on the floor while the head flied in the air for a time before collapsing next to a terrified blue suns. This broke the back of the mercenaries that fled away in fear, their will to fight exhausted and too scared of the crazed woman now near the staircase.

Shepard didn't even tried to waste time with them and reached Lena with the intention of congratulating with her

"Great Job Lena" he said smiling "That was a flawless attack." The girl didn't answer to him, she instead collapsed on the floor while pressing her now bleeding chest: Kurkil's last attack had hit the mark and pierced her armor.

"Lena! Fuck! Jacob, we need medi-gel!" said Shepard in a hurry but Lena stopped him with a wave of her hand

"I do not need medi-gel Shepard! Just look."

"What are you saying now Lena!? We need to" the words died in his throat when he noticed that Lena's flesh was for some reason churning and moving on her own. With horrified and yet marveled eyes Shepard saw Lena's body mending the hole in the chest, regrowing new meat and rebuilding broken ribs; blood stopped flowing and after some seconds of grueling work new patches of skin started covering the now closed wound. In less than one minute the wound had disappeared, there was not even a scar!

"What?….How?" asked a flabbergasted Jacob after looking at this. In the end he simply shrugged off and accepted it. He was accepting the fact that Lena was beyond his understanding.

"Lena, how?" simply asked Shepard

"Another vantage of the yoki, commander" answered Lena while straightening up "It can mend wound that would kill a grown man."

Shepard opened his mouth to reply, then closed and tried once again, still failing

"Whatever" said in the end "Let's just find Jack."

 **five minutes later**

The bodies were everywhere, a fleshy carpet strewn along the floor covered in blue, destroyed armor. Many people had tried to stop the petite girl, mostly mercenaries but also some convict holding some grudge and trying to take advantage of the situation. Needless to say none of them succeeded, so great was the girl's power and her desire of escaping from this prison. Yet now everything was forgotten; the escape, the need, the desire to survive, all washed away because of a single symbol painted on the side of one docked ship, Cerberus's symbol.

The girl screamed after seeing this, screamed and raged letting her power go wild, smashing metal and bones in equal measure, covering herself in a blue halo of pure energy, detaching her brain for a second from the world.

In that exact moment a surviving member of the blue suns tried to shoot at her, only to be promptly killed by Shepard.

The girl calmed immediately and looked at the newcomers with her small, black eyes: they were not Cerberus apparently despite the symbol used by one of the three, but this still meant nothing for her. She was more than ready to blast them

"Who the fuck are you?" snarled at them

"Do not worry, I am not here to attack you." answered Shepard in diplomatic voice. Jack's reaction was a snarky laugh

"Come on, you are talking like a little bitch! Now, who the fuck are you?"

Clearly diplomacy was useless with her

"Shepard, specter. The ship just out is mine and I want you on my squad."

"In your fucking dreams!" cried back Jack "You are Cerberus and I do not follow those fuckers!"

Shepard opened his word for a reply but right in that moment noticed the Cerberus's logo plasted inside his ship.

-Miranda- he thought furious -You are gonna hear me after this!-

"Listen I am not with Cerberus, they are just paying the bill!" tried Shepard but the girl refused to acknowledge this

"Yeah sure! I do not kill you little shit because I am tired but you can bet your ass that I will not come with you, so go fuck yourself and leave me alone."

Shepard sighted and started going away

"Fine." he simply said "Good luck escaping from this trap. Come on squad!" Both Lena and Jacob looked at Shepard surprised by his compliancy but followed him

"Shepard, are we really leaving her like that?" asked Lena in a whisper.

"Trust me." answered Shepard

Some seconds later a voice called them, it was Jack's voice

"Wait!" she stopped them. Shepard turned and crossed his arms

"I am listening."

"I bet your ship is packed to the brim with Cerberus datas, I want full access to them. Do it and I will follow you!"

"Deal!" said Shepard. Jacob grimaced at this

"The Illusive Man will not be happy about this."

"The Illusive Man gave me full authority on this matter." answered Shepard without breaking a sweat "If this is what she want, this is what she will receive." Jacob did not protested further.

Shepard offered to Jack his hand "So, do we have a deal?"

"You better not fuck with me." answered Jack just before reciprocating

"I will not, now let's go away from this trap."

 **10 minutes later. Normandy's briefing room**

"Welcome Jack, I am Miranda and the Co of the ship. I assume that Shepard already convinced you so let's" Jack snarled at Miranda and Shepard had to resist the urge to not sight

"Shepard, why this fucking Cerberus's cheerleader is here."

"This cheerleader, as you have called her, is my second in command, and she will be the one providing you with the Cerberus's data banks you desire."

Miranda looked at Shepard and frowned, clearly not happy by this

"Shepard what are you talking about."

"Aaah, this annoyed the Cheerleader?!" mocked Jack "Even better!"

"Jack accepted to be part of the crew in exchange of full access of Cerberus's data banks and as my second in command you will be the one responsible for this." answered Shepard

"Hear that?" supplied Jack "We shall be only you and I. You, I and all of Cerberus's most embarrassing secrets! I will find my own spot somewhere in the engine room, tell your people to not fuck with me."

And after saying this she simply decided to pick up and leave, quickly followed by a now very annoyed Miranda. Shepard finally sighted

"Routine mission." he mocked "Yeah. Ok squad. Free day for all of you, you deserved it. Lena, a moment please."

"Commander." saluted Jacob before leaving. Lena simply stat immobile, waiting for Shepard

"Easy Lena, this is a talk, not an execution." Joked Shepard, Lena refused to catch the joke.

"Lena, I will be frank with you. As a soldier your behavior was impeccable: you obeyed my orders without question and performed better than I expected, but as a person I cannot avoid being scared by what is there inside you. I know that you are what you are not by choice, I talked with Karin some days ago, but this does not change the facts: there is a beast inside you Lena, a very dangerous one."

Lena grimaced at this: she could not blame Shepard for this because she herself knew better than every one inside the ship the danger of a silver eyed witch. She had hoped that behaving as best as she could would have avoided this particular topic but it seems that she was wrong.

"So...you want me out?" asked Lena in fear. Shepard looked at her with an indecifrable expression for some seconds, then he answered

"No."

Lena blinked one, two times. Did he just?

"But why?" she asked in disbelief "You just said that I could be a liability?"

"Exactly!" said Shepard "You could be a liability, but you are not right now and you showed too much potential to simply let it go to waste. So here is my proposal: let Karin examine your body, let her find a way to help you with your consent. With some luck she will find a way to lessen your condition and even help your daughter."

Lena could not believe her own ears

"Commander, this mean that….you trust me? Even after seeing me in a real fight? After seeing what I truly am?"

"Yes." said Shepard. Lena almost started to cry in joy

"Commander, you have no idea how happy I am to hear these words. I will do as I say and I promise that I will not disappoint you. I swear upon the goddesses!"

"I am sure about that." answered Shepard taken aback by the reaction "Go to your daughter now, I am ready to bet she missed you." Lena happily complied and sprinted out of the room. Today was a good day for her: a victorious mission, a commander that trusted her and the change of staying with her daughter. Truly the Goddesses had blessed her, maybe in return for the years passed in slavery!

She reached her room after seconds, her frantic fingers digitized the code for opening it and when the door finally let her pass….she found Raina drinking some kind of hot drink with the hooded girl called Kasumi, now unhooded and showing short, bobbed midnight dark hair and a pair of pretty eyes.

"Mum!" cried the child running to greet her, Kasumi instead only looked at her awkwardly.

"Eem...hello Lena. Well child your mum is here so now I can go. If you excuse me." Kasumi made a run for the door but Lena grabbed her shoulder and stopped her dead on her track, a false smile plastered on her face.

"Not so fast miss Kasumi, it would be quite rude from you, especially considering that today you were not in such friendly term with my daughter and I had told Raina to not let strangers enter inside our room. Why are you here?"

Kasumi tried to make her best puppy face and in response Lena flashed her eyes with gold, clearly annoyed by all of this

"Well…."started saying Kasumi "You see, after my leave from the briefing room….

 **Lena's room. One hour earlier**

Raina was annoyed: her mum was not with her, there were no children who could play with her and before leaving Lena had made sure to make it clear that she was not allowed to wander thought the ship all by herself. Raina knew that it was for her own good, especially after the strange tall lady with icy eyes surprised some days ago wandering near her office and curtly reprimanded her saying that this was a warship and not a kindergarten school, but she was a child! How could you say to a child "stay still for more than two hours!" and hope that obeyed? Even for a Claymore child this was almost impossible!

-Well, better sleep for a bit. After all it does not happen every day to have a bed with silken sheets and all these fluffy blankets.-

And so she did, letting the softness of the bed nurturing her, counting the minutes separating from her mum, the minutes before being able to wander and talk happily with mum and discovering another piece of this strange, marvelous ship. Some people were very cute and friendly with her, like the girl called Kelly and many others crew members; others not so much but their behavior nothing compared of what she was used on her home-planet where Claymores were sometimes expelled with rocks!

Then, all of a sudden, Raina's musing was interrupted, her senses flaring. Despite what Lena believed Raina's mutation had not been stopped, just modified: usually a Claymore feel dozens of yoki auras during her life and use said auras to create a peculiar style of combat, just like Galatea's god eye or Miria's phantom. Raina had clearly not been able to continue that trend because of her forced leaving from her planet so her body opted for a second solution: instead of improving her yoki, it improved the body itself, from the senses to the sheer muscle mass. The project was still in motion but what she already possessed allowed her to hear a noise, a minuscule noise that made her jump in surprise. It was an artificial sound, made by someone inside the room with her.

Raina slowly crawled away from her bed, all her senses in motion. There was a knife inside the room, on a shelf near the bed, left by Lena for her just in case. She knew how to use them, Lena had showed her. Raina lunged at the shelf desperately trying to reach the knife but the presence was faster than her, blocking both her wrist in a vice grip and locking her in her place. Raina screamed and struggled but in vain. The grip was too strong.

"By the...calm yourself girl! I do not want to hurt you!" said a voice in the air. Raina looked at the room and all of a sudden a figure materialized herself in the room, all while still blocking Raina's wrist. It was a hooded figure, small and feminine; a worried scowl marred her hooded face and now Raina could clearly see that she was using as less strength as possible.

"Girl, you should not play with knives at your age." aid the girl trying to calm her down and slowly letting her go. Raina in response quickly grabbed the knife and pointed at the intruder, her grip tense. The hooded girl, if she was scared, hid it well and only dropped her hood showing her full face.

"I am Kasumi by the way. Sorry for the jump scare."

"Why are you here?" asked Raina, the knife ready

"I was curios." answered the girl. Raina for a second looked at her as if she was insane

"What?" she simply asked

"I was curios. You see right now your mother is busy with Shepard, dealing with some blue jerks and I thought, let's go and take a look at the cabin of the infamous Ripper and see if there is something interesting! I know that I should not have done it but it was such a juicy idea that I could not resist!"

"You almost gave me a heart attack only to satisfy your curiosity?!" asked Raina now totally lost. Kasumi looked at her with a small grin on her face

"It was just a look, I am sure that a child like you understand me. By the way, what betrayed me? Not to brag but you were not supposed to wake up during my trip and I am quite good at my job."

Raina refused to answer to her and in response Kasumi made a faked scene of sorrow

"Please, do not look at me like that, you are breaking my poor heart. Let's do that way, now we go to the good man in the promenade that make meals for us every day and we buy two cups of hot chocolate, my treat, and we talk a bit about your mother. They will recognize me immediately and you will see that I am not that bad. Deal?"

The chance of getting out of the room was enough for Raina to accept without hesitation; her posture lowered and a small smile crept on her face

"Deal, but walk in front of me." Kasumi bowed in fake submission

"As you command, my lady!"

 **present time.**

"And...now we are here." finished Kasumi hoping that Lena would not react badly about her intrusion. Unfortunately The livid look marring her silver eyes said otherwise.

"So...you cracked the security of my room and scared to death my daughter, only because you wanted to fulfill your base desires?" Asked Lena fuming and tightening the grip on Kasumi's shoulders.

"….Yes?" answered Kasumi

"Raina, dear, can you wait outside the door for a minute? Me and miss Kasumi must speak and do some….adult stuff." said Lena with honey voice laced with venom. The child understood the hidden message and quickly left.

"Sit." ordered Lena when they were finally alone. Kasumi quickly complied

"O-ok! Listen, I know that it was bad on my part entering inside your room without permission but I swear I was only curios. Please do not kill me." Last part was more a squeal than anything else.

"You are a thief Kasumi" replied curtly Lena while taking the knife previously used by Raina "And in my country thieves caught red-handed have their right hand cut from the body."

Kasumi squealed in fear and instinctively hid both her hands behind her back.

"But I will not do such a thing to you. You do not look like a bad person despite everything and I do not want to give Shepard more headaches than he deserve."

Kasumi did not eve tried to hide the relief now washing her face.

"On one condition." quickly added Lena "There is a person that I am looking for. He is a smuggler called Aran; find him, discover her whereabouts, where he live, everything about him. Do it without telling anything to Shepard and I will call it even. And no question about why I want to know about him."

Kasumi accepted the way out without thinking for even a second

"Personal problem eh? Fine, it should not be difficult for me, I have dozens of contacts among smugglers and their like. Deal Lena and sorry for the mess." The girl left the room free to go, her usually cheerful demeanor back on her face.

"Kasumi" said Lena a second before her disappearance (literally in her case) "I am not a hermit, next time you want to speak with me or take a look at my room, ask."

A cheshire smile plastered Kasumi's face

"I will remember that Lena, I feel that is the beginning of a great friendship!"

 **Part six finished. This took longer than I thought. Hope it is acceptable.**

 **Next time: Korlus, a new friend and a death's door situation. After all a Claymore is strong, not invincible.**

 **P.S. I will probably slightly change part five, more precisely the reason why Lena let T'Von live. A reviewer made me rightly notice that is a bit out of the character that I am creating.**

 **Aguy, thanks for the info and the others please, if you find something that you think is not good or could be better just tell me. As I said I am not perfect and I am trying to learn.**


	7. Chapter 7 Death's door

**Chapter 7**

 **death's door**

 **part 1**

 **So here it is part seven of the story. It will be split in two sub parts because after testing it I reached the conclusion that writing single pieces ten thousand words long is not worth it: too long, too heavy.**

 **One review asked me if Jack will have a special relationship with Lena and Raina and the answer is….maybe? It is sure that they have a common ground but Jack is well, Jack. I will think about it.**

 **As always I do not possess any rights etcetera etcetera.**

 **Good reading**

 **12 march 2185. Normandy's crew quarter. Lena's room. 14 27 a.m. ship hour**

If a brave soul inside the ship would have dared walking near the infamous Ripper's room that particular day he would have heard a screeching cacophony of cries and wails worth of a banshee of the legends coming from inside the door. What could emit such noises!? A fit of rage from the Ripper? An olo-video about Krogans in heat?

Nothing so strange: it was only Lena trying to bring her daughter to the doctor. Quite the task considering that Raina was gripping one of the bed's legs like it was a lifesaver all while Lena tried to dislodge her.

"Nooooo!" cried Raina out in pure fear after Lena's latest attempt at dislodging her

"Calm down Raina, it is nothing dangerous. The doctor of this ship is neither mean nor brutal!" tried to reason Lena but her daughter was unwavering in her stubbornness.

"It is a lie! Doctors strap you on an operative table and open you with theirs mean knives! I do not want to go, I do not want to! She will hurt me!"

"Do not spout out insanity! The Chackwas is not like the organization's butchers! She will not hurt you in any way, I assure you!"

"They all do it, this one is just pretending! Leave me alone mum! I do not want to go!" now Raina was crying and begging, such was her fear but Lena refused to give up and grabbed one of Raina's leg, trying to pull her away. Right now the Claymore was beyond annoyed: three days ago, specifically during one medical check-up, doctor Chackwas warned Lena about her desire to visit and check Raina's wellbeing, claiming that she was now also another member of the crew just like the others and was so under her responsibility, quietly warning her that she would not have accepted a no as an answer. Lena had expected; she knew at this point that the good doctor wanted only the best for Raina so she quickly accepted and arranged a session for the twelfth of march. What she did not expected was Raina's stubborn reaction that already managed to delay the meeting of at least twenty minutes! A quick glance to the room's clock informed Lena that they were late for the meeting and it was a small miracle that she had not already been called by the doctor.

"Raina, this is your last chance!" shouted Lena finally out of patience "Stop whining and come with me or else." Raina's answer was gripping even more firmly the foot of the bed. Lena grimaced and grabbed the child with both her hand. This was gonna be a long day.

* * *

The crew of the Normandy that morning had the chance of seeing quite the unusual spectacle during their working shift, so unusual that some of them even abruptly stopped doing what they were doing and looked at the couple that was now moving toward the infirmary with mouth open and quizzical looks. What they saw was in fact a wrathful Lena angrily marching toward her objective all while keeping a squirming and desperate Raina from slipping away from her shoulder. Raina in fact was a stubborn and resourceful child and refused to yield even when Lena finally managed to pull her out from her improvised refuge spot, and almost destroying the bed in the process; it was almost comical seeing the child placed over Lena's shoulders moving like a squirrel on a branch, something that forced the now furious Lena to keep one hand firmly lodged on Raina's body in an iron grip, but no one dared to laugh or even utter a word, at least not until the girl and her unwilling cargo disappeared inside the infirmary. No one want to attract the ire of a woman capable of killing them with her pinky.

"Lena! You finally come! What took you so long?" greeted the doctor when she noticed them. Lena waited a second before answering, allowing her daughter to escape from her clutches first.

"You would not believe me doctor." answered Lena flatly "Let's just say that if I am wary of doctors, then Raina is terrified by them."

As to prove her point Raina used her newfound liberty first of all by desperately banging on the infirmary's doors, trying to open them and some seconds later, noticing that it was useless, by hiding under one of the infirmary's medical beds.

"I see." commented Karin looking at the frantic child "This is not simple fear, but pure terror. Let me guess: the reason for her fear about me come straight from the same person that transformed both you and your daughter in mutated soldiers, am I right?"

Lena's answer was a simple nod. The doctor deeply sighted after hearing this.

"I do not even know that son of a bitch but I can positively say that I hate him more than Saren. At least we could shoot at him." Karin tried to approach the scared child by coming near her hidden spot only to see her withdrawing even more like a scampering prey near a predator.

"Do not worry too much doctor, I will help you dealing with her." Lena assured the doctor, but right on that moment EDI's voice boomed inside the ship's infirmary

 _"All agents are to immediately report on the briefing room."_ Lena cursed under her breath; she could not disobey a direct order but this was the worst possible situation

"Go Lena, I will deal with her just fine. Trust me." assured Karin with a small smile. Lena for a moment looked at her unsure about this, but in the end simply nodded and rushed out from the infirmary without losing another second.

"Now" said Karin once she was alone with Raina "Little one, hiding behind my beds is not a good idea because..." the doctor clicked a button on her omni-tool, automatically rising all the beds inside the room and revealing the terrorized child under them. Raina squeaked in surprise for a second but this time her body refused to move and simply remained still, too scared even to talk at first.

"I can do this." concluded Karin

"Please, do not hurt me! Mum, where are you?" it was Raina's voice, barely audible and laced with dread. Karin's response was a long sight.

"I have no intention to hurt you little one. I asked your mum to bring you here because I need to check your physical health, but judging by what I am seeing that can wait. Now" the doctor slowly sat herself on the floor, a gentle smile placed on her face now at the same level of Raina's

"What do you think about having a nice, long chat? Just to know each other better."

* * *

Lena was the last to arrive on the briefing room, still tired for the fast trek and burning with shame for her late arrival; all the others agents were here and judging by the look of their faces they had been here for quite some time but thanks to the goddesses no one commented about her blunder, although Lena quickly noticed the look of disapproval on Miranda's face.

"Commander" tried to say Lena but Shepard stopped her with a simple gesture

"I know why you are late, Karin and EDI had just warned us. No matter, the important part is that we can begin. Zaeed." Shepard activated the holographic generator inside the room and all of a sudden the image of a planet filled the air at the center of the table; next to him blue floating letters showed a name, Korlus.

"Ladies and gentlemen this is Korlus a shit hole of a planet." Said the scarred man in red armor with his gruff voice "Blue suns use it for training their recruits. The whole goddam place is covered in starship's wrecks, making it the perfect place for learning the ropes of urban fighting."

"And...why are we here?"asked Garrus confused

"Because" answered Shepard "Our next recruit is waiting down here Garrus. He is a Krogan scientist called Okeer, currently working for the blue suns for some reason but Cerberus intel suggest that he is willingly to change banner. We will have to"

Shepard's speech was interrupted by a raucous laughter coming from his left, Jack's laughter.

"Now that was a fucking A grade line Shepard!" said the tattooed girl almost rolling down on the floor "A Krogan scientist, what a joke." All the others member of the crew looked at her with various degree of surprise or annoyance; Miranda looked on the verge of exploding while Kasumi and Garrus smiled, but not for the supposed joke. Shepard simply waited for Jack to finish.

"No wait" said in the end Jack, her laughter now dead on her throat "You are fucking serious about this?!"

"Yes I am Jack; Okeer is a one thousand years old Krogan, an expert in genetic manipulation and probably one of the last living Krogan in the galaxy who fought during the Rachny wars. Jack, in the future please avoid this kind of behavior during a briefing. I want soldiers, not unruly children inside my squad."

Jack almost snarled in response, but refrained from commenting and accepted the warning. Shepard's voice was covered with honey but even she could see the steel within it.

"As I was saying" continued Shepard "We have to recruit Okeer, or at least try to. Judging from the scans made by EDI the blue suns garrison is currently busy trading blows with an unidentified Krogan group; this will give us the chance that we are looking for."

"Blood pact?" asked Jacob

"I do not think so: the scans showed only Krogan life-signs and the Blood pact attack groups tend to bring with them dozens of Vorcha and Varren as cannon fodder."

Shepard looked at all the members of his squad, thinking for the last time about who to bring.

"I will go down with Kasumi, Jack, Lena and Garrus. Miranda, you and the others wait on the ship and prepare the Kodiak for immediate departure in case we shall need some heavy fire down here. Some question?"

No one answered to him

"Very well. Go to the armory, i want all of you ready in less than five minutes."

All immediately complied to the orders and went to the armory, preparing themselves for the incoming battle; as always Lena took a small place of the armory for herself and started placing the various pieces of the armor in their places, but this time someone else decided to disturb her

"So you are the Ripper. I heard that you are a freak of nature of something like that. I thought they stopped doing this kind of bullshit years ago."

It was Jack's voice. The girl was wearing only a strip of leather and some pants so Lena could see everything of her body without problems; on her hips a shotgun rested quietly and ready to be used but her greatest assets were her biotic powers and Lena knew it.

"Yes I am, some problem with that?" Asked Lena with tone dangerously low. Companion or not she had no intention of accepting comments about her condition.

To her surprise, the girl simply laughed, a humorous and honest laugh.

"Problem? Of course not princess! We freaks have to stick together after all!" Lena's eyes widened in surprise

"You are…?" asked Lena testing the water. Jack immediately understood the hidden meaning.

"Yup! Changed and fucked when I was a child, just like you. Welcome to the club!" Jack placed a hand on Lena's shoulder in a friendly way and looked at her with what could only be described as interest

"But I wonder, who is the strongest freak among us? How about a challenge: the one that make the most badass kill during this mission must pay to the other a night full of booze and bitches. Interested?"

-O goddesses no! Not another Helen or Rachel please, do not do this to me, I beg of you!- Thought Lena remembering those particular Claymores at home, so similar to Jack apparently

"I will think about it." simply answered Lena just a second before grabbing her sword and literally escaping from the loudmouthed girl.

"Think about it!?" cried Jack annoyed "I want a straight answer you fucking bitch, and do not think you can run away from me!" Lena simply kept walking, leaving the now swearing girl behind.

-She is not like Helen or Rachel- thought Lena while followed by her words -She is worse!-

 **Planet Korlus. 15-27 local hours**

The door of the small shuttle now resting in one of the many metal platform dotting the planet opened itself, allowing Shepard and his crew to disembark in good order and ready to battle.

As predicted by the Normandy's sensors the planet was an immense starships's dump devoid of even the smallest trace of life: the grass hidden by rows and rows of metal slabs, the mountains a conglomerate of decayed ships now linked together after centuries of rust and dereliction. There was no green on this planet, not a single leaf had been spared, and this unnerved Lena; it was not natural.

"Kasumi, you are our scout. Go forward and check for enemies." said Shepard unperturbed by all of this

"Yes boss." answered cheerfully Kasumi a second before disappearing on the air. Lena still had no idea how the girl was able to do such a thing

"I take point." Continued Shepard "Jack, Lena on the center. Garrus behind. Let's move people! We have a Krogan to meet."

And so the squad began its quiet march through this metal world, trusting their sensor and Kasumi's stealth for avoiding most of the enemies and reaching their targets. They walked for minutes, maybe even hours inside this strange labyrinth made of metal and glass, where only en eerie silence greeted their movements; a strange thing considering that the Normandy's scanner talked about a Krogan task force fighting on the planet. No one even dared to speak during the journey, even the rowdy Jack was quiet and Lena was not sure if this was a good or a bad sign.

"Commander" said a husky voice to their inter-comms after some time. It was Kasumi's voice

"We have almost reached the main blue suns stronghold, but a small patrol block the way and I haven't found any alternative route. I am also hearing faint sounds of gun-fire, so we can assume that the Krogans are already here."

"Message received Kasumi. Do not move, we are coming." said Shepard slowly before cutting the chat. "Double time people."

They quickly reached the small thief, now hidden behind some metal pipes near this patrol block, no more that some hastily made barricades protected by three blue suns recruits. They appeared nervous and kept looking over and over at the road behind them, as if they expected to be attacked by someone coming from inside the base, and not outside.

Such a thing was easily noticed by Shepard and he quickly devised a plan.

"Garrus" ordered Shepard while grabbing his sniper rifle. "I take the one on the right, you the soldier on the left. Lena, when they drop you charge and take the last one alive. Clear?"

"Yes Shepard" answered both Garrus and Lena.

The two sniper primed their weapons and waited for the perfect shot, all while Lena flexed her legs.

"Now!"

Garrus and Shepard's rifles roared into life in unison and both their targets dropped dead on the floor, their brain now a fine paste. The last one did not even had the time to understand what happened before Lena charged at him with inhuman speed and literally slammed on the soldier with the strength of a tree trunk. The dazed soldier left his gun and Lena quickly capitalized the advantage and fractured his right arm with a single strike using the flat of her sword just before trapping him in an iron grip with her left hand and forcing him on his knee.

All lasted less than four seconds.

The soldier's helmet was quickly took off from the rest of the squad, and they all saw the pained face of a human boy, barely twenty-five years old and scared shitless. Clearly a recruit on his first assignment

"Fuck, fuck!" cursed the recruit with pained grunts; he tried weakly to get free but Lena was too strong for him.

"You fuckers, I am not telling you anything." snarled the boy trying to appear brave, but Shepard could hear the fear on his voice and used it.

"That is a very bad wound" said Shepard with false sympathy "I have a lot of medi-gel inside this omni-tool, but if you really want to be so grumpy and silent I can simply move along and leave you here to die."

The boy's face paled with fear.

"No no wait! Listen man, I do not know anything, I am just a recruit ordered to keep the flawed pieces inside the station!"

"Flawed pieces?" asked Shepard intrigued

"Yes! Jedore ordered that old Krogan to create an army of tank-breed Krogan for her and he did it, but all his experiments are insane and attack anything that it moves! Jedore still think that they are worth something and refuse to stop the production. Now we have to deal with an army of tank-breed monsters that want to kill us all. What a load of bullshit!"

"Base to outpost, do you hear me?" said a voice inside the recruit's inter-comm. Shepard immediately unholstered his pistol and pointed it at the recruit's face.

"No heroisms boy." He whispered to his ear. The boy swallowed and nodded.

"Here outpost four. No sign of the Krogans yet, the area is still clear."

"New orders" said the voice "Jedore want all the patrols back to the base. Leave your positions at once."

"Yes sir." answered the recruit before having the inter-com closed by Shepard

"Good lad" he said with a small smile "Now" with a lightning move Shepard slammed the butt of his pistol on the boy's face, breaking his jaw and stunning him on the spot. Lena, surprised, left the boy that collapsed gently on the floor, motionless.

"Take a rest, it help when dealing with fractures. Garrus, break all weapons and inter-comms of all three, then we move."

"We do not kill him?" asked Jack surprised

"And why would we? Without weapons and communications he is helpless against us and besides, he will sleep for at least four hours after that blow. Leave him be, maybe he shall learn that the job of a mercenary is not for him."

Jack grumbled something about the heart but obeyed.

"Come on boys and girls, with some luck they have all killed themselves already."

Unfortunately this time Shepard was wrong: not even five minutes had passed since leaving the patrol behind them that they were forced to fight against another patrol of blue suns, and another and another. The place was crawling with enemy soldiers, from the humblest of recruits to the more experienced centurions, and a feminine voice kept shouting through numerous loudspeaker stupid phrases like

"Being hired is only the beginning! You have to earn the place among our ranks!"

Ironically that voice was becoming more annoying than all the people that were trying to kill them.

"Man if that girl is their propaganda officer then I pity these poor bastards." Joked Garrus between the fights. "She really love hearing her own voice!" Shepard could only nod in agreement.

"Guys, here are some Krogan." intervened Kasumi pointing at a battle some meters from them "Do you recognize their insignia?" Shepard took his sniper rifle and checked at them: they were classical Krogan warriors, brutish and armed with shotguns. They had no symbols or clan signs or even armor in some cases, but what really surprised Shepard was that one of them looked at his direction and clearly noticed him, but refused to attack or warn the others Krogan. He simply shrugged off and continued to fight against the blue suns.

-What the…?- thought Shepard confused

"Squad, we go and engage but do not fight against the Krogans, am I clear?" All of them looked at him as if he was insane but refused to protest and obeyed.

The battle did not last long: caught between the fire of the Krogans and the pincer attack of Shepard and his squad the mercenaries died like flies. Some were shredded by Lena's sword or destroyed by Jack's biotic, others killed by the Krogans and the last one picket one by one by Garrus and Shepard's rifles. Unfortunately only one Krogan was still standing after the fight, refusing to even raise his weapon against the newcomers, simply waiting.

"Shepard, I can still shot him before" tried to say Garrus but Shepard stopped him

"Trust me" he simply said before moving toward the hulking creature, his weapons holstered but ready.

"You" said the beast when they were close, his voice profound but….strange in some way. "You are different, your smell is not of this world. Since I was born inside the crystal mother I felt only the need to kill, but you" the beast now towered upon Shepard "Something tell me to talk with you."

"So it is true." commented Kasumi "Okeer is creating an army of Krogan killers." The beast looked at Kasumi as if deeply offended

"Created to kill!? NO, I kill because this is what my blood desires, but this is not why I have been refused. I hear words about surviving, winning, but I have failed. I failed my task even before being born, that is why I am here."

"Do you know a person called Jedore?" asked Shepard trying to squeeze some informations. The beast rumbled the name for a moment on his fangs before answering

"Yes, I heard this name. It is an unworthy name; we will never sing about her."

"This voice, is Okeer's voice?" continued Shepard

"I do not know, I only know that it is inside me and it is confused. I am not what he desired."

"And how have you deluded him?"

"I do not know. It happened even before I was born. He created me, he taught me everything I know, but I was not perfect so he left me."

Lena instinctively stiffened his arms. Whoever was this Okeer used methods far too similar to the organization's ones for her liking.

"I need to speak with Okeer. Can you show me the fastest way to the laboratory?" Asked Shepard. The Krogan thought about this for a moment, as if uncertain; then a flash illuminated his face.

"Aah yes! The crystal mother! She is far down and surrounded by soft creatures like you, many soft creatures. I will show you the way." The beast lumbered toward one of the many abandoned bulkheads that littered the landscape and, with a titanic effort, moved one of it revealing a small passage entering inside the depths of the earth, some kind of subterranean conduct created above an immense abyss dimly illuminated by artificial lamps placed a bit everywhere. Just for curiosity's sake Shepard threw a rock at the abyss, waiting for a sound. He heard nothing.

"Thanks the spirits he is friendly." commented Garrus

Follow this road until you feel the sun once again, it will bring you next to the mother. Farewell"

The squad started moving toward the new road but Lena could not resist and reached the Krogan, grabbing one of his arm

"Lena what?" asked Kasumi

"Come with us." said Lena to the Krogan "You do not have to follow the voices, you can be free if you so desires."

The Krogan looked at her with his reptilian eyes then started sniffling the air, trying to catch her scent. The creature was clearly surprised for some reason

"You...you are not like them!" said the Krogan with awe in his voice "You hide your true nature behind weak flesh and bone, but I can sense claws and fangs deep within you! You smell of death and pure carnage. You smell like us." The Krogan looked at her right into the eyes

"Who are you? The voice said nothing about you."

"I was like you, once." Answered Lena "A creature born and bred only to fight and kill, but I went beyond that! Do you not want to do the same, being more that a mere attack beast?"

For a mad second the creature actually considered the proposal and Shepard and his companions looked at both of them with bated breath.

"No" he said finally the Krogan "I have my voice and my blood, you have your purpose. I will not fight you, but I will not follow you either. I am not perfect and this is my destiny. Farewell."

The words were definitive and Lena accepted them

"Then, farewell warrior" She simply said, sadness painted on her face. She then quickly reached the rest of the squad that was now looking at her with weird looks

"Some problems?" she asked

"Problems!?" answered Jack "Fucking hell Lady Oscar! Mind telling us who the fuck are you truly?"

"First, I am common borne and not a lady." Said Lena "Second, my name is Lena, not Oscar and third, none of your business. The contract said nothing about talking of our past."

"Yes but everyone know more or less the others. Fuck even I talked a bit with that redhead girl about me, but you are tighter than a fucking nun inside a brothel about yourself, and now we discover that a Krogan that you barely know is chummy chummy with you so"

"Ssh" said Shepard "Did you heard that?" All stopped and opened their ears. Someone was shouting, it was human and

"Fuck, they are free! They are all free!" said one voice, followed by a bestial snarl and the sound of gunfire.

"Shit, weapons free!" said Shepard. Soon they discovered the source of the sound: a group of eight Krogans, all armed to the teeth with guns, grenade launchers and even iron bars. The beast were happily butchering various patrols of blue suns like they were made of paper and immediately fired at the new group when they noticed it.

They were clearly not as friendly as the one just left but, unfortunately for them, Shepard and his group were not an easy prey: one of the beasts was thrown into the abyss by Jack's biotics, Garrus downed another one with a precise shot and Shepard and Kasumi worked in tandem and killed three of the beasts with a combinations of grenades and fire-arms. The remaining three roared in rage and charged the enemies, not caring for any wounds or danger, their minds now filled with bloodlust. One of them was killed by Garrus and Jack but the other two burned the distance and started firing wildly, forcing the group to take cover

"Lena, charge!" shouted Shepard to Lena and the Claymore quickly obeyed. Lena charged against the roaring creature, surprising them with such a bold move, and the girl capitalized the advantage. The first Krogan had his lungs pierced by a vicious thrust of Lena's sword cutting through bones and flesh with ease. The creature howled and roared in pain incapable of fighting back after receiving such a staggering wound but Lena did not stop here; in one fluid motion the girl twisted the sword's handle on her hands and forced the blade away from the Krogan's body literally cutting the beast in two! The second Krogan used this moment to attack Lena with his gun but Lena's barrier held firm long enough, allowing Jack to hit the last Krogan with a biotic throw, effectively staggering him. Lena used this chance and quickly lunged at the last enemy with a diagonal swipe, hitting him in the throat and decapitating him with this brutal strike. The beast collapsed without a sound, showering Lena with yellow blood.

"Fucking epic!" shouted Jack with pure sadistic joy after seeing all of this "You won the bet Lady Oscar, hands down! Tell me when you want to do it and I promise you that I shall give you the night of your fucking life!"

"Was that a bit too dangerous?" asked Garrus "Krogan are very resilient. He could have retaliated before dying."

"I knew where to hit them Garrus" answered Lena while trying to clean some of the blood "They trained me well on Omega and these idiots attacked me while showing the weak points of their armors. A piece of cake"

"That they have done" commented Shepard inspecting the wounds "No matter now, we still have a job to do. Let's go people."

* * *

The remaining trek showed to be quite simple for the group. Krogan and blue suns mercenaries had already happily killed each other, leaving the road free to roam for Shepard and his squad, and this lead them to the entrance of the infamous laboratory of Okeer. The entrance was unguarded and apparently empty, a simple metal door already opened and ready to cross, but Shepard ordered all his companions to stop. Two were the reasons for such an order: first of all he found the prospect of finding such an important place for the Blue suns unguarded so he ordered Kasumi to do a complete perimetry sweep before entering; second of all, just before the entrance of said laboratory a small desk filled with a computer and some data-pads was lying empty and apparently abandoned. Apparently because Shepard's scanner showed that someone was hiding under it.

"Lena" said Shepard with a whisper "Flush him out." Lena nodded and moved next to the desk without making a sound. Then, quicker than a flash, she unholstered her sword and pierced the desk next to her just enough for the one under it to see the blade piercing the metal. A feminine shriek went out from the desk and someone tried a desperate flight only to be immediately catched by Lena. The newcomer, an Asari dressed in a white coat, tried to get free but she was clearly unused to fighting and Lena's grip, albeit gentle right now, was one of iron.

Shepard looked at the newcomer with an uncertain look: the Asari was familiar somehow, but Shepard could not remember the name; he was on the tip of his tongue but still unaccessible. When the girl finally stopped struggling her eyes met Shepard's eyes and a small spark of hope flashed inside the girl

"Commander Shepard, do you remember me? Please do not kill me!" she said with squeaky voice and this triggered the long forgotten memory inside Shepard

"You are...Rana! Rana Thanoptis! The biologist working for Saren!"

"Yes I am, happy to see you still remember me commander!" the girl grimaced and tried to turn only to be blocked by Lena's hand

"Could you tell your associate to let me go? I am having trouble breathing and I assure you, I am not your enemy."

Shepard nodded in Lena's direction and the Claymore simply let her go, coming back on the commander's side

"Last time I saw you Rana, you were running away from an atomic explosion." commented Shepard looking at the young researcher

"Yes I remember. I managed to hack a drone and ride it away from the base. Thank the goddess."

"And now you are here working for a Krogan busy doing only God know what kind of insanity just like some Saturday afternoon villain." Finished Shepard seriously considering the idea of putting a bullet on the biologist's head. The girl noticed the expression and hastily raised her hands in protest

"What!? No Shepard! Okeer might be a bit cruel but his intentions are sincere. He only want to create Krogans immune from the Genophage!"

That got everyone's attention (but Lena).

"An ambitious objective." commented Garrus "And I am sure that Mordin would like to have a word about this. Did he succeeded?"

"Ehh, not yet. You see Jedore, the blue suns's commander stationed here, hired Okeer because she want an army of Krogan for her schemes, but the old scientist does not exactly care of her and simply give her the failures of our experiments. My work is preparing the learning imprinting for the newborn Krogans clones but most of them are unable to accept them and so they are discarded."

Shepard sighted deeply, behind him Jack snarled in contempt and Lena instinctively grabbed her sword, ready to cut her in two.

"You know Rana, stuff like that make me believe that I should kill you right now." said Shepard at the young biologist that paled visibly after hearing this

"B-but...i am just doing my work! You cannot kill me only because the people hiring me are not very….virtuous? Right?" Her eyes were now a muted prayer.

"No" said in the end Shepard, still unsure about this "Get the hell out of here Rana, and for the love of God find a more peaceful work the next time. I do not know, pigeon breeding."

"I will try commander, but judging from my luck I will have to deal with killer pigeons or something like that." The girl quickly bolted away not looking back for even a second.

"You are too soft boss." lamented Jack when the girl was already out of sight.

"Maybe" answered Shepard "Or maybe i just do not like killing every person i meet. Rana is an idiot but a harmless one. Let's hope we will not find her once again."

Shepard's gaze was now on the metal door containing Ocher's laboratory.

"Right now i just want to end this bloody mission."

 **End part 1, stay tuned for the next one, hopefully on a sensible time**


	8. Chapter 7-1 Death's door

**Chapter 7 part 2**

 **Death's door**

 **Now this was a difficult chapter to write, mostly because I noticed a lot of small problems in the script that needed some fixings. Hopefully this will be satisfactory to read.**

 **As always I do not possess etcetera etcetera.**

 **Okeer's laboratory**

The Krogan's laboratory was similar to his master's soul: a dark and decayed place filled with dust and abandoned by all but the most tenacious creatures. The computers were mostly spent and lifeless, the floor covered with yellow dried blood, residue of failed experiments; the wall dented and rusted. Only one place at the center of the lab was still spotless and relatively used, the same place where now Okeer was standing next to a giant test tube filled with a transparent liquid containing what looked like a young Krogan, or at least Shepard thought he was a young Krogan: the creature was massive, at least two meters tall, but the ridges above his head were incomplete; his skin was also scaly but unblemished like the one of a child. A very big, scary child.

Okeer in contrast was clearly old and battered: his ridges were cracked and splintered in various places, his skin a patchwork of scars and burn marks; his eyes were dimmed, the eyes of someone who saw too many things in his life; even his armor was as battered as the owner.

Shepard was in front of one of the oldest creature in the whole galaxy and all of a sudden he felt himself very small.

"Okeer?" asked Shepard in a small voice

"About damn time you showed up Shepard." growled the ancient Krogan without even turning to greet them "You took your time dealing with that toy army outside!"

Shepard was taken aback by this phrase

"Do we know each other?" Okeer snorted and finally turned to see them

"Difficult to not know the human that destroyed the future of my race: Odin Shepard, first human specter and champion of the galaxy that destroyed Saren and his army of evil Krogans clones burning any chance of curing the Genophage in the process with an ocean of nuclear fire. The last part was my favorite: it had depth."

"You do not look very angry." Observed Shepard. He had expected a furious reaction or something like that. Okeer simply shrugged

"Why should I? Saren was a fool! Like all the others he believed that we Krogans were strong in the past thanks to our numbers! Idiots, all of them. You did well in killing him and his pathetic horde of weaklings."

"So you do not want to cure the Genophage." quipped Kasumi

"Of course not human." was Okeer's answer "The Genophage is useful: for ten thousands weak children than die one strong survive. The Genophage isolate the strong from the weak. Let's conserve the Genophage I say, we shall defeat it by climbing a mountain of dead weaklings."

"And the old times of the past?" asked Garrus curious "Do you not want to revoke the time where you swarmed your enemies with your numbers?"

"No Turian, we shall not need them." answered Okeer with an insane smile and pointing and the young Krogan inside the tube

"My work is almost finished and he shall be the prototype of a new race of warriors. The galaxy feared for centuries the horde, but I will make them tremble at the mere sight of the spear."

-Madder than a hatter.- concluded Shepard on his mind. The old Krogan was clearly obsessed with his dream of total mayhem and bloodshed. Creating a new race of Krogans, what a joke.

"Listen Okeer, in all due honesty I do not care about all of this. I am here because I am fighting the collectors and my sources tell me that you have frequent contacts with them. Name your price."

Okeer assumed a thoughtful look before answering

"The Collector you say? Yes I know about them. A very reclusive race, but more than willing to barter with others if you offer them what they desire. I gave them dozens of Krogans and in exchange they gave to me the technology needed to create my prototype, my perfect creation. Yes, maybe I can help you but"

"Attention Blue suns!" a new voice shouted inside the laboratory and probably everywhere on the planet "Okeer has become a menace for the operation. Destroy the laboratory and recover all his notes, we will begin anew with them." said voice was followed by the sound of the energy inside the laboratory slowly fade away, reducing to nothing the already scant lighting.

"Ok this is not good." commented Garrus

"That pathetic coward!" shouted and raged Okeer in front of everyone "She is gonna destroy decades of work in a second by moving a valve! Shepard, stop her. We will talk about the Collector later. I will stay here and save my project. Go!"

Shepard didn't even tried to argue with the old Krogan, now already busy dealing with the energy shortage and desperately trying to keep the stasis tube containing his project stable.

"Great. Those recruitment mission are all so bloody insane." muttered Shepard while exiting from the laboratory and asserting the situation: the land some meters away from the laboratory, in contrast of most of the surface of the planet, had been mostly cleaned out of debris and ruins thus giving Shepard and her crew a clear firing line while they could use various slabs and metal panels placed near the laboratory as cover. The laboratory itself was lightly overhead compared to the floor in general and possessed many places for cover and choke point, giving the squad the higher ground and the opportunity to transform the entire zone in a dead trap. Far from them near a small clearance a dozens of large tube filled with Krogans clones were slowly opening up and Shepard had no doubts that the beasts would have played havoc on everyone once freed.

"Garrus, how many Blue suns are coming down on us?" Asked Shepard while finding the best covering spot along with his companions

"Forty at least" answered Garrus totally serious "And I am ready to bet that the big red dot that I am seeing on the scanner is an YMYR mech."

"Fucking great." Swore Shepard "Ok team, I will take care of the mech when is show its ugly face. Jack, use your biotic against the Krogans when they come close. Garrus, Kasumi, deal with the regular infantry. Lena you will take point near that cover." He pointed at the closest ravine near the clearance "Make it rain grenades like there is no tomorrow and kill any blue suns that manage to bypass our firing line and, for the love of God, do not overextend yourself! There are too many enemies for any of your acrobatics."

"Fine Shepard." quipped Lena.

"Miranda, down with the Kodiack! We need some air support." said Shepard on his intercom

"Acknowledged Shepard. Eta in ten minutes." Answered Miranda

In less than five seconds everyone was ready and in position, their weapons primed. Their enemies did not let them wait.

They were a horde: dozens of blue suns soldiers lightly armored and armed with rifles followed by a couple of their centurions and tech experts. Behind all of them a girl with short blonde hair and armed with a grenade launcher was herding four clone Krogans like a shepherd would do with his flock. This Jedore had brought against them the entire Blue suns garrison coupled with their rookies; Shepard was not sure if to feel honored or annoyed by this.

"Slaughter them all!" snarled the girl pointing at Shepard and his crew and the Krogan quickly complied by charging down the path, bellowing guttural cries, firing wildly and trashing around any unfortunate blue suns in their path.

Their charge was abruptly stopped by a biotic ball of pure energy launched by Jack that sent one of them flying like a rag-doll.

All the enemy stopped charging and firing for a moment, stunned by how quickly one or their heaviest hitter had been defeated and Shepard and Garrus capitalized the moment by shredding the blue suns with a hail of precise gunfire, hitting clusters of them. Bodies hit the floor, coloring the floor with red or blue blood but this did not stop the assault. Small and medium arms fire roared back hammering Shepard's and his companions's posts forcing them to be more careful in their shot, allowing the Blue suns and the Krogan to come closer to them but this was still not enough: Garrus, Kasumi and Shepard were too precise and able to aim and hit their targets in less than a second while their enemies were clearly recruits, most of them barely able to use their weapons and still waiting for finishing their training let alone being precise. Jack launched spheres and blast of pure biotic energy all while laughing like a madwoman and all the poor sods caught by the blast exploded like balloons, the metal of the planet unable to shield them from the attacks and the few soldiers that managed to bypass this gauntlet of death were welcomed with a well placed grenade if they were lucky, a giant sword to the gut if they were unlucky.

More than a dozen of bodies were already on the floor after five minutes of fighting together with the remaining Krogans, but this did not meant that the battle was over. Spurned by Jedore and her grenade launcher they replaced the fallen without pause the blue wave, advancing slowly but relentlessly. Other bodies collapsed on the floor but Shepard and his crew finally showed signs of weariness: Lena's sword was drenched in blood and her pouch of grenades almost empty; Shepard, Garrus and Kasumi's thermal clips were dwindling and Jack, after blasting people left and right, was showing signs of fatigue although she would have never admitted it. Already some pockets of soldiers were also bypassing an ever more tired Lena forcing Shepard to use his shotgun to clean up the stragglers.

"Miranda, how much time still?" asked Shepard after blasting another blue suns soldier. All around him the sound of gunfire almost drowned Miranda's voice

"Three minutes."

"Still?!" now Shepard's words were almost a cry

"Garrus, how many enemies to kill on your scanner?"

Garrus first killed another enemy with his sniper rifle and then he answered

"We downed fourteen enemies and a dozen are injured, but our thermal clips supplies are dwindling and I think that this Jedore girl finally decided to field the big guy." a taloned finger pointed at the unmistakable shape of a YMYR mech slowly lumbering on the battlefield, his rotary cannon ready to fire. Shepard immediately noticed who the machine was aiming at.

"Lena, get the hell out of here!" he shouted on the inter com. The metal machine was targeting her.

* * *

Lena was fighting with the speed and the rage of an avenging demon: these mercenaries, spurned by that woman called Jedore and her pet Krogans, were charging against their positions like mad men in a desperate attempt of overwhelming them with numbers, only to discover that trying to dislodge a Claymore from a defensive position armed only with rifles is a very bad idea. Lena had already used half her stockpile of grenades and her sword was drenched in blood, and still the attackers persisted! Lena would have commended their bravery if only for the fact that they were someone managing to tire a Claymore like her and nothing else.

"Bunch of idiots." commented Lena while slicing another soldier in two and avoided a point blank shot from another enemy "Can they not see that this position give me too much of an advantage?" At this point a small mound of half a dozen enemies was adorning her position all piled on each other was blocking her view like a grisly monument.

"Lena, get the hell out of here!" shouted Shepard on the intercom. Lena for a second stopped fighting; Shepard had literally shouted inside her helmet, stunning her for a moment.

"What is happening Shepard?" asked Lena unsure about the situation

"Mech YMYR inbound to your position Lena; get the hell out of here." was the curt answer, not needed at this point because the metal monstrosity was at this point next to her. Lena had never fought this kind of metal contraptions: she knew about the smaller versions of these machines, small golems with weapons grafted inside their metal fingers and the strange dog like golems, but the big one was unknown for her. T'Von had always said that the crowd hated seeing gladiators fight against metal cans so she never got the chance to fight against one of said monsters. Quite a problem for her right now.

Lena instinctively dashed away from the metal monster, trying to obey Shepard's order, only to have the mech's targeting system immediately firing at her with its rotary cannon. The weapon spewed its payload against Lena hitting her square in the chest, the bullets too fast even for her to avoid; for a second the armor, coupled with her kinetic batteries, endured the devastating punishment they received, only to collapse with a loud bang a moment later. Metal bullet penetrated Lena's defenses and shattered flesh and bones with contemptuous ease. The girl collapsed on the floor spouting blood from her mouth and bleeding from at least a dozens of wounds; her pouch of grenades was lying on the floor next to her and barely able to stand. Some of the remaining blue suns tried to take advantage of this but Garrus and Kasumi's precise firing prevented them for reaching her.

"Damned golem." cursed Lena while pumping her body with yoki energies and regenerating lost flesh with a squelching sound. The metal contraption refused to relent and prepared to fire another flurry of bullets, but this time a ball of pure biotic energy hit it square on the chest, destroying its shields and staggering the lumbering beast, disrupting its aim in the process. Lena immediately seized the advantage, grabbed her Claymore on both hands and threw the heavy weapon against the lumbering golem, not caring for the pain she felt because of her gaping wounds. The heavy blade moved without a sound against the target and embedded itself deeply inside the golem's chest making short work of its armor, showering Lena with a rain of sparks and hitting something important inside the mech's core. The mech staggered and started twitching, unable to aim properly anymore, and a second later a well aimed missile launched by Shepard destroyed its left leg, forcing the golem to fall down with a loud thump, his systems shutting down because of the damage sustained. This, coupled by the arrival of the Kodiack from the sky, managed to finally break the back of the blue suns attackers that escaped in a desperate retreat, escaping from the battle despite their boss still lashing at them with the butt of her missile launcher.

"About fucking time!" shouted Jack at the sky after seeing the Kodiack hammering the retreating mercenaries. Shepard and Garrus simply took pot shots at the enemies with their sniper rifles just to be sure, and in that moment Shepard noticed something through his gunsight: the enemy leader, Jedore, was not running away. Instead she was aiming at something with her grenade launcher; that something was the YMYR's head, just next a Lena now wobbly moving and trying to dislodge her sword from the mech's body, completely oblivious of the danger. There was no time for a warning and Shepard immediately fired a shot; the bullet flied against the target and hit Jedore right on the mercenary's brain, bypassing the armor and killing her on the spot, just a second too late.

"Lena!" shouted Shepard, in vain. The missile soared the sky in less than a second, giving Lena only the time to turn her head and notice the danger, and reached the mech's head triggering the self-destruct sequence of the golem immolating the girl in an inferno of flame and metal splinters and to make matters worst Lena's remaining grenades were caught in the blast and added even more destruction. Lena was thrown backward by the devastating explosion, her armor already damaged providing next to no protection against the devastating blow; Shepard, Kasumi and Jack immediately dashed toward Lena uncaring of the sudden heat and the ringing inside their ears all while Garrus kept a close watch of the surrounding place.

"Miranda, I need the Kodiack down here immediately." Shouted Shepard on the inter com. The place where once Lena stayed was now a scorched hole; smoke billowed from overheated metal and small splinters were strewn everywhere like teeth of a fallen creature; there was nothing of the mech and for a second Shepard dreaded the worst: the explosion of an YMYR mech can kill even a Krogan in full armor and Lena, despite being a mutated human, was not a Krogan.

"Shepard, I found her" it was Kasumi's voice, and was barely a whisper.

Lena was now in her arm, some meters away from the mech's remains, and she was literally in pieces: what was once a totally functional armor was now a burning pile of half-molten metal covering a quivering mess of burned flesh and blackened bone; her right arm had simply disappeared leaving only a stump near the shoulder; dozens of small metal shards were firmly embedded inside the girl's body like many little knives; her face was a nightmare to behold, with most of her skin charred and her left eye a burning hole where a grown man could have placed a finger without a problem. But what really left Shepard speechless was that Lena was somehow still alive: her left arm twitched and moved weakly and her remaining eye, even under a curtain of burned skin and dried blood, was still looking at them.

Shepard had to curb the sudden urge of vomiting: he was no rookie but this sight managed to unnerve even an old soldier like him. Thank God Miranda had already found a good spot to land and Mordin was already reaching their position.

"Mordin" said Shepard without preambles when the old Salarian reached them and noticed Lena's condition "Can she be saved?"

Mordin immediately knelt next to the Claymore and started analyzing the girl, a stream of data coming from his Omni-tool

"Multiples internal fractures, heavy blood loss, more than twenty intrusive objects inside her body and half her internal organs destroyed. Amazed she is still alive, her regeneration factor even stronger than Krogan's one. Will perform some basic field aid but I suggest bringing her back on the Normandy and plug her on a medical bed."

"Do it, and when back someone warn Kelly; I want her staying with Raina for a bit. Last thing we need is letting a child seeing her mother reduced to a pile of mangled flesh." ordered Shepard trying to maintain a professional facade "Garrus, Kasumi, back with the second squad. Jack with me and if that fucking idiot of a Krogan scientist decide to not help us after this you are authorized to blast him into oblivion." They all obeyed without a word and Mordin and Garrus started slowly dragging Lena's body to the shuttle.

"This is better be fucking worth it." murmured Shepard under his breath.

* * *

A furious Shepard stormed the laboratory hall still covered in dirt and blood, her friend and agent's blood, and went where he was sure to find Okeer; he wanted answers, he wanted to know everything that lizard knew about the Collectors, and was more than ready to stop being gentle. One of his agents was dying because of him and Shepard hated seeing his people dying! He hated years ago during the first contact war, he hated during Saren's hunt and still hated it now.

What he saw made him lose what was left of his patience

"Fucking damnit!" raged Shepard hitting a metal computer next to him, shattering in thousand of pieces.

Okeer was lying on the floor, next to his precious prototype. He was dead, suffocated when the vital support of the laboratory collapsed leaving the place without air. That old fool refused to let the clone die even when that meant losing his own life. Almost touching but right now Shepard was not in the right mood for this.

"A fucking waste of time!" said Jack expressing out loud Shepard's thought

"You are right Jack." admitted Shepard "But maybe we can salvage something." his gaze was now fixated on a data-pad near Okeer, a data-pad containing a message for Shepard.

Shepard quickly took the pad and opened, curious about it.

Inside he saw a message from Okeer

-Shepard I am sorry but I cannot help you. I never talked with the Collectors, only made business with them, but my experiment can help you. He was created thanks to Collector's technology and he is perfect. He is my life and possess much of my knowledge, he will surely help you battling- the message abruptly ended here.

Shepard pondered Okeer's offer: a pureblood Krogan could pack quite a punch during a battlefield, Shepard still remembered the mayhem that old Wrex always managed to create when deployed during Saren's hunt two years ago, and Shepard had to coldly accept the fact that Lena could well die within days, leaving his squad without a true heavy hitter. On the other hand old and experienced Krogans were usually unpredictable and difficult to contain, so only hell knew how rowdy and dangerous could be a teenager one.

In the end, Shepard made his decision and hoped to never regret it.

"Miranda, the mission is a failure. Okeer is dead and all the information about the Collectors died with him, but we can still salvage something. Send an empty shuttle, they have a package to retrieve." Shepard stopped speaking for a second, looking at the hulking Krogan sleeping inside the tank "A very big package."

 **Normandy's ship, crew's quarter. Ten minutes after the mission**

-Ok Kelly, focus!- repeated Kelly for the tenth time inside her brain just before opening the door in front of her -You can do it!-

This was a lie and she knew it. The faculty of sociology does not teach you how to distract and cheer up a child whose mother is currently slowly dying inside the infirmary!

Kelly knew that the image of Lena torn to pieces and filled with tubes would have haunted her dreams for the rest of her life; she was not so naive to believe that this mission would have been without casualties, but seeing that spectacle coupled with Kasumi's almost crying face and receiving her new orders about Raina had been hard for her, very hard.

-Here goes nothing.-

Kelly placed her hand inside the center of the door, opening it with and revealing the interior of the place

"Raina, I am Kelly; may I come in?"

No one answered. The place was empty and devoid of life

"Raina?" asked Kelly confused. Still no answer but this time her ears managed to catch a certain sound coming from the small wardrobe. The sound of someone crying.

Nervous about all of this Kelly slowly reached the armoire and opened it without making a sound, taking a careful peek. Inside she found Raina, curled in a fetal position near all of Lena's scants uniforms and mementos, breathing quickly and violently; her eyes were bulging and she didn't even noticed the arrival of Kelly in a first moment.

"Raina, what is going on?" asked Kelly softly reaching the young girl and bringing her out of the closet. Raina looked at her and Kelly noticed the fear and desperation inside the child's eyes. Something was very wrong here

"Mum is dying, isn't she?" asked Raina with barely a whisper and for a second Kelly was left speechless. Who told her the truth?!

"N-no Raina! Who told you this lie?! She is only" tried to say Kelly but Raina shouted at her with pure desperation, now crying without qualms.

"I am feeling it!" Raina was now hyperventilating and twitching like a mad woman; Kelly had to physically block her before she ended up injuring herself.

"She is dying, her yoki is flickering like a candle near the winds. I...i" then she broke down in tears, burying her small face inside Kelly's small frame. Kelly embraced the small child in her arms, trying to comfort her with small words and hugging her tightly

"I do not want to remain alone." sobbed Raina desperate "Not again."

"Ssh" cooed Kelly with quiet voice "You will not remain alone little one, I promise you."

They both remained here on the spot for who know how much time, one silently crying, the other one consoling her as best as she could. In the end Raina surrendered to fatigue and went to sleep on Kelly's arms and the girl quickly took Raina in her arm and placed her on the bed.

-This is so messed up- thought Kelly while sitting near Raina and looking at her. Even while sleeping she was still moving and crying, asking for Lena, for her mother. It was heartbreaking.

-Let's hope that Karin can pull some kind of rabbit out of the hat and save Lena.-

* * *

At the same time in another part of the ship Shepard, now out of his armor and dressed with a simple uniform, was looking for the last time at the hulking Krogan inside the tank before opening it and trying to reason with him. He had just come back from that accursed planet only to discover that Lena's life was literally hanging on a thread. Karin's exact words after seeing Lena's condition had been "She literally stopped an exploding YMYR mech with her face Shepard, what am I supposed to do?" Truth to be told, she was right: the fact that Lena was still alive after such a hit was a bloody miracle and a true testament to Lena's amazing regenerative abilities.

This was the first casualty of the mission and the impact showed to be harder than everyone thought and this was not a surprise: no one like to see an operative that fought with you slowly dying inside a medical bay. The fact that Miranda, always cold and practical, told to Shepard that the Illusive man was quite interested in analyzing Lena's body in case she died did nothing to help the commander's morale. Thanks God he managed to contain himself because and simply told her that this was not the right time; last thing he needed was hitting his own CO in the face.

"Are you sure about this commander?" inquired EDI's voice blocking his train of thoughts "This Krogan might react violently when awakening. Entrusting it to Cerberus would be the most logical course of action."

"I am, EDI." Answered Shepard "Awaken him."

"Performing the action." the tank in front of Shepard flared into life and slowly activated itself. Amniotic fluid was siphoned out from the now opening tank, letting the hulking creature meet the floor with an audible thud. Shepard quietly charged his only weapon, a pistol, with some stun bullets just in case.

"Krogan fully awaken. The consequences of this actions are now yours." said EDI flatly.

The beast opened its eyes for the first time in its life, a pair of bright blue eyes, and looked at who had just awakened him. An animalistic roar escaped from its maws and the beast suddenly charged a surprised Shepard, tackling and slamming him on the nearest wall. Shepard flinched and quietly moaned but refused to move: the Krogan had no desire to kill him, otherwise he would already been dead.

The Krogan looked at him and sniffled Shepard's face, as if searching for something, and Shepard use this distraction to quietly grab his pistol

"Human, male. Before I kill you, I need a name." said the Krogan with a deep, strangely mature voice.

"I am commander Shepard and I am not one easily scared." Replied Shepard sternly. The Krogan shook his head annoyed "No! Not you! Me. Okeer talked to me while I was inside the tank. He told me about the universe and how to fight it, but refused to give me a name." For a second the Krogan looked thoughtful

"War, battles, soldiers, grunts….it make no sense. Yes, Grunt will do."

Now Grunt's eyes were once again posed on Shepard's ones

"I am Grunt, and if you truly are a worthy commander then show me your strength."

"Why not a name like Okeer?" asked Shepard distracting him

"Because this name is short and adaptable. I feel nothing for Okeer and his clan, I just want to sate my thirst for battle. I will fight, but not for him; in this Okeer's imprinting failed."

"Then follow me. I have a great ship and a powerful crew. Your addiction will make it even stronger."

Grunt pondered the idea for a second

"If your enemies will prove to be too weak I will have to kill you."

"My enemies are the Collectors: no one knows them and all the others who tried to fight against them are been destroyed, besides." Shepard acted immediately and shot the Krogan in the gut, stunning and forcing him to let Shepard loose. Grunt collapsed on the floor, dazzled and confused, only to see the barrel of a pistol pointing at his face

"I had a very tiring day today, and I am not in the mood for diplomacy so I will give you a simple choice: follow me in battle against the most dangerous creatures on the galaxy or die here like a vermin."

Grunt looked at him with a mixture of shock, surprise and awe. In the end he did the last thing Shepard could have ever imagined: he laughed.

"Ah ah Shepard. You truly are a worthy commander Shepard. If one day I shall find a Clan worthy of me I will be honored to call you my enemy."

"I appreciate the compliment Grunt. Welcome to the crew; I will warn Jacob and find something of your size. Where do you want to stay?"

"Here in this room will be fine battle master. I will be ready to fight whenever you want."

"Very well."

And so the conversation between Grunt and Shepard ended, with some unexpected fitness and an almost dislocated shoulder. At least now he had a Krogan on his side.

-Gotta ask Jacob about finding some weapons big enough for one like Grunt, and telling Kelly about our new recruit. No wait Kelly will be busy for a while with Raina.- Shepard's brain was tired, too tired for his own good

-Fuck, let's just go to sleep now, I need to clear my mind. Let's hope next day will bring some good news-

 **So here finish Korlus's part. As I said quite a difficult chapter to write at least for me, and I hope it was worth it. Now if someone is unsure about Lena's predicament let me say something about it**

 **1) Lena is not an immortal Mary Sue and i hope i am not making her look like that: she can kill people with her bare hands, regenerate lost limbs, arm wrestle a Krogan without problem and thanks to Omega's two years in the arenas she is quite good at fighting, but she is not invincible. She is rash, she barely use ranged weapons (for now) and usually underestimate the danger, so she can be defeated. And if you are wondering for the opposite reason (how is she still alive) i can tell you that in the manga i saw defensive warriors like Lena regenerate their BRAIN by themselves (looking at you Deneve)**

 **2) in the game the YMYR mech is supposed to be a massive machine armed to the teeth and packed to the brim with explosive ordinances so it has to be lethal, even against a defensive Claymore like Lena (especially if already wounded) and the explosion has to be devastating and life-threatening, and yet in many walktroughts I saw people take a blast to the face (after destroying the head) and survive. Very low health but still survive.**

 **About Raina and Kelly I hope I managed to make the scene acceptable, I am not exactly an expert when it comes to writing cheesy and sad stuff. I am still learning as I said.**

 **Until next time and hope this is satisfactory.**

 **Cheers**


	9. Chapter 8 Half awakened

**Chapter 8**

Half awakened

 **Here is chapter 8 where doctors, when desperate enough, decides to try unorthodox treatments. You can already guess by the title how it shall end. As always tell me if you find it interesting or not and I do not own etcetera. etcetera.**

 **P.S. I used a peculiar word inside this chapter, a small homage to the Star trek series (deep space nine to be precise) can you find it?**

 **P.P.S italic words are yoma's speech.**

 **Normandy Sr 2, 14 march, infirmary**

The ship was slowly fluctuating across the void of space, its occupants mostly at bed because of the night cycle and yet an attentive ear would have heard small voices and rumors coming from the infirmary. Inside it doctor Karin Chackwas, together with Mordin Solus, were still busy working on small blood samples and tissue fragments, trying to find a way to heal the currently only patient lying in coma in one of the few medical beds. The face of the good doctor was a mask of tiredness , the attack of tiredness blocked only by dozens of now empty cups of coffee placed everywhere on her desk; this was the eleventh modified sample that the good doctor was testing inside the testing machine of the infirmary and her tired brain hoped that this would have brought at least some success. Unfortunately the machine said otherwise and a loud beep followed by a red light dimly illuminated the machine.

"Bloody hell!" cursed Karin while trowing away the failed sample in a fit of frustration "This is ridiculous: another failure! Just what the hell is this cursed yoki?!"

One week, one entire week after that fateful day when Lena came back from the mission literally in pieces and still the good doctor had no idea how to cure her.

At the beginning of the first day of this week Karin had been quite pessimistic about Lena's chances of survival. The poor girl was in shambles, a mangled piece of flesh barely kept together by patches of skin and comatose brain but still she did her duty hoping for a miracle, and a miracle somehow arrived.

It happened at the dawn of the second day, Karin had just began her shift at the infirmary only to have Lena's body suddenly jolt and move like a possessed woman; surprised by this reaction Karin was immediately at Lena's side, trying to keep her still and checking her vitals and what she saw left her speechless: Lena's brain was still in a coma but the parasite inside her clearly was not and somehow managed to take control of her host's body and regrowth Lena's lost eye!

After witnessing this miracle the doctor immediately summoned Mordin on the infirmary and together they scanned and analyzed Lena's ravaged body, discovering that the parasite inside Lena possessed a far greater control of her host despite the Claymore's apparent human nature, so great that it was right now working in place of the girl by moving streams of yoki everywhere in a desperate attempt of healing itself.

Relieved for the new predicament and far more optimistic than before they both began working with renewed vigor, hoping to find a way to use the parasite's amazing regenerative abilities to speed up Lena's recovery, but here they found a roadblock. This substance, this yoki, proved to be a barrier for any medicine known to galaxy as well as almost impossible to analyze, let alone control it: every time they performed a scan the results were different because of the virulent and volatile nature of said substance; every time they tried altering the substance, trying to make it more stable or at least not so aggressive toward any medicine inserted inside Lena's body they were rewarded with a failure. This yoki substance was simply too unstable.

-How the hell Lena manage to keep it under control is beyond me- thought Karin while calming herself -I should ask her if she manage to wake up.-

After some tense seconds Karin's body finally calmed down, and her scowl was replaced by a professional facade. She was a military doctor with twenty years of experience after all, not a near graduate medicine student during her first real fieldwork experience.

Truth to be told the doctor's mind was frustrated for two other reasons: first of all Lena's body, because of this yoki, kept moving and moving day and night, regrowing a broken bone only to have another one snap at the same time, something that Karin found generally creeping but was unable to stop. Second of all during this week every time she headed toward the infirmary, Karin always saw Raina near the door, oblivious of Kelly or Kasumi's attempts of cheering her up or simply distracting her. The child never asked her anything or tried to sneak inside the infirmary; she simply stood still, for entire minutes sometimes, her eyes looking at the heavy metal door, waiting.

It was honestly unnerving.

"Your frustration comprehensible doctor. Mental strain always hight when dealing with this kind of situation, especially when relative present or near during work. Still, suggest stopping drinking coffee and focus on the matter at hand. Agent Lena still need our help and your caffeine levels are dangerously high."

Said Mordin after patiently waiting for Karin's outburst to end. The old Salarian, in contrast to doctor Chackwas, was perfectly composed and calm despite the situation. On his right hand a data pad rested ready to be activate and his eyes showed no emotions.

Karin for a moment envied him and his STG training; he was also worried for Lena but his self control was impeccable, even after a week of failures mixed with the constant sound of Lena's body squelching and twisting in a macabre dance of sinews and tissues.

"Doctor Solus, yesterday you said inside the message that you found a possible cure for Lena, correct? Care to elaborate?" asked Karin skipping the pleasantries

"Of course of course" answered Mordin quickly "Had some free time during this week, research about Collectors countermeasures almost done so redirected myself to this peculiar problem. Yoki substance clearly too complex to be analyzed using only small samples despite the advanced facilities of the ship and Lena's body right now too damaged for a total scan. Temporary blocking the influx of yoki and using conventional medicine also too dangerous: substance present in every part of Lena's body, blocking it would cause irreparable damage. I devised a third option."

Mordin activated his data pad and showed it to the doctor

"Yoki substance clearly capable of mending and repairing biological bodies at an astonishing rate, but agent Lena's body is currently incapable of pumping enough of this substance necessary for a speedy recovery, so the best course of action is increasing this yoki production by stimulating the current host's body cells, allowing it to manually regrow the damaged parts. Lateral thinking in a way.

I have already made twenty-six simulation using some of the samples previously received and discovered that small doses of white Ketrachel can moderately improve yoki production inside Lena's body, enough to improve her healing factor for the 40% according to my test runs. Here are the results of my work."

Mordin handed his data pad to doctor Chackwas that quickly scanned it. She found no flaw in Mordin's theory, on the contrary: true to the author this work was a state of the art dissertation of the yoki substance followed by ingenious ideas about how to bypass it and all of this in less than a week and without having proper samples.

Still, the doctor was unconvinced.

"Mordin, your work is flawless as always but let's be honest here: this is a theory, an intriguing and ingenious one but still a theory. We have no idea how exactly this yoki work because Lena always flat out refused to submit herself to a full body scan after that first time at the infirmary with me and we had to respect her wishes; what if increasing the current amount prove to be too much for Lena's body to handle? Or if there is a very good reason for Lena to keep this substance's level as it is? A single mistake and we kill her, or worse."

"I am very conscious of the risks, doctor" answered immediately Mordin "but I am also conscious that agent Lena is slowly dying. We cannot cure her and her current regenerative factor cannot save her. I know that this is an unorthodox method but desperate times requires desperate measures and as the chief doctor of the ship you have the authority to allow or forbid this new treatment, that is why I am here. Not even commander Shepard can command you to use it without your consent."

Doctor Chackwas massaged her tired eyes and thought for a long minute about the idea: testing new healing methods was not something that Karin liked to do, but Mordin was right, conventional medicine was powerless against Lena's wounds. She needed something new.

"Fine Mordin. Prepare three doses of white Ketrachel, I will warn Shepard about this and prepare Lena." Karin was unable to hide her worried face "Let's hope this is not a mistake."

After ten minutes of silent working everything was ready: three doses of Ketrachel were waiting to be injected and even more straps now adorned Lena's body, making sure that she stopped moving.

"Injecting the first vial."

The white, slugging liquid entered inside one of Lena's veins.

"It is working." said Mordin with chirped voice "Yoki levels are increasing. What about Lena's condition?"

"Improving" answered Karin without even stopping checking the girl's vitals "Her bones are healing, blood cells are revitalizing, the brain is starting to respond. She is coming back."

And yet the doctor was still uncertain. Things were going too smoothly.

* * *

Cold.

The cold, inviting embrace of darkness, of being neither alive nor death. Lena knew it very well; after all this was not the first time she ended up gravely wounded; the life of a Claymore was dangerous even before being kidnapped and forced to fight on Omega, this was only another bump in her road. Granted, every time she awakened from the slumber, her memories about this place faded away but this was unimportant in the end.

-I should wake up- thought the warrior inside her own mind -But I feel so tired; I just want to rest for once!-.

Inside this strange dream Lena had only a limited perception of herself and the true world: she knew that her body was desperately trying to heal her wounds and sometimes felt other people's voices, but she had no true notion of time.

-Just another hour or so, then I will try to wake up. I bet that Raina miss me terribly; I wonder if-

Splash.

The strange sound scared Lena and forced the Claymore to collect what little focus she possessed. This was her world, her mind was the conjurer of all of this, but this sound was wrong, strange.

-What is going on?- she thought scared -It sounded like a liquid of some kind.-

And as if called by her words a strange, black liquid started leaking down from everywhere, dripping ominously.

"It is working!" said a distant voice, echoing inside Lena's ears. What was working?

Them, all of a sudden, a violent contraption hit her with the force of a thunder strike. Lena's body arched violently, surprised and hurt by the sudden change and the girl barely managed to stay still. Something was wrong with her body, very wrong.

"Increase the dose." said another voice, this time more feminine

"No stop!" pleaded Lena with rancorous voice, but she knew that this was useless; she was alone.

This time the seizures increased ten fold and the black, strange sludge began covering her world like a poisonous herb. Lena felt her barriers keeping her yoma side fading away; the beast inside her was awakening.

"No!" this time Lena screamed while every fibre of her being fought against this new danger

"Please, stop this before is too late! Please!"

* * *

"What the..." noted a surprised doctor. Lena's vital, just one second ago stable and rising, were now going insane! At the same time Lena's body started trashing and moving even more violently than before.

"Mordin, stop administering the Ketrachel, now!" ordered Karin. Mordin complied immediately but it was already too late: Lena's body was now almost completely healed, but her yoki was not stopping as intended! Her limbs started stretching beyond human limits and a growl, not a scream but a true, animalistic, growl, escaped from the Claymore's lips. Her body mass was steadily increasing; her left arm, previously only a stump, was now fully regrowth but was also showing off dozens of spikes and fangs, and Karin could swear Lena's feet were becoming arcuate, almost bird-like.

"Rabid mutations, substance out of control; unexpected: Yoki is overwhelming all human cells at the same time but only now. Why?" muttered Mordin

"Spare me the biology lesson for later Mordin!" shouted the doctor "You can inflict a neural shocks with your omni-tool right? Then use it before is too late!"

Mordin complied immediately and his omni-tool flashed for a second, followed by a shout Lena's shout of pain but this remedy only worsened the situation.

Enraged by the sudden pain the thing now in place of Lena snapped the straps keeping her in place and hit Mordin with one of her taloned hands; Mordin fell down on the floor dazed; he tried to wake up but Lena simply kicked him in the stomach, making sure that he remained still.

"EDI, warn Shepard!" shouted Karin "Tell him agh!" with a lightning movement Lena grabbed Karin by the throat and lifted the poor woman effortlessly; Lena was now standing on her feet and her look was downright monstrous: she was over two meters tall and her once fair skin was now black and scaly; her hands were covered in talons and strange appendices; her eyes, once silver colored, now were brightly yellow and full of animal rage.

New people moved outside the infirmary, probably warned by the noise inside but Lena's heightened sensed noticed them and the girl quickly reacted. She raised the left hand and a spike of all things darted out from her palm, embedding itself deeply inside the door and destroying it in the process.

"Lena, please...not" Karin was barely able to speak, the grip of Lena one stronger than iron.

Lena's answer was slamming the poor doctor on the wall with one hand and ripping out art of the doctor's uniform, revealing her stomach and the guts inside it.

"Food." Was Lena's simple answer. Doctor Chackwas closed her eyes and waited to the inevitable.

* * *

"What do you mean you cannot open the door?!" shouted a furious Shepard at EDI. Mere seconds ago, just when he was about to go to sleep, EDI had called him saying that Lena was now some kind of mutated crazed beast hell bent of killing the doctor and the whole crew, urging him to take -appropriate measures- (her words) and now he was just outside said infirmary, unable to enter for some mysterious reason. Next to him Garrus, Jack, Jacob and other armed members of the crew were looking nervously at him. They knew next to nothing about this emergency but the roars coming from the infirmary already gave them quite an idea about what they were about to face.

"The mutated form of Lena just shoot an unidentified object against the door, jamming them in the process. I cannot open them." was EDI's monotonous answer

"Fucking great!" swore Shepard "Jacob, explosives on the door."

"I will need one minute." observed Jacob while immediately beginning to work

Another guttural growl erupted from from the infirmary "You do not have a minute." commented Shepard

The black sludge was now everywhere, a formless mass threatening to drown the poor Claymore inside her own mind. Lena tried with all her might to stop it but it was like blocking the sea with her hands: brave but hopeless in the end.

She was drowning in yoki and that bastard was even gloating about it. Lena could sense it; a formless voice cackling and laughing at her demise, ready to feast with a banquet of guts, both human and alien.

Stop struggling, said the voice, stop struggling and let me have control. You will love it and besides, our first meal is already in our hands.

The image of a clawed hand holding doctor Chackwas flashed for a second inside Lena's mind, sending the girl into a desperate frenzy.

"You are not going to kill anyone you monster!" shouted Lena defiantly "Not on my watch!"

Lena started hitting the black barrier with renewed vigor, uncaring of the throbbing pain inside her head.

"Know this yoma: you will give me back control of my body or I shall kill myself trying and dragging you with me into oblivion."

The voice snarled but refused to comply; he was free for the first time in years and it refused to be brought back on its place. A furious battle ensued and this influenced even the fleshy container they were trying to control

* * *

Doctor Chackwas was barely breathing: Lena's clawed hand was slowly strangling her in a vice grip worthy of a Krogan. Blood leaked from dozens of small claw marks and her limbs were stiff and sore.

She knew that she had no hope of defeating such a beast, even armed with some kind of weapon, so she didn't even tried to fight against it, simply waiting the killing blow.

So when instead of an attack she felt her body hitting the floor suddenly free saying that she was surprised is saying nothing.

The hit awakened doctor Chackwas from her fear induced paralysis and forced her to open her eyes once again and what she saw left the wounded doctor baffled: Lena was still next to her but now her eyes, while still yellows, possessed some measure of humanity in them; one hand was still trying to reach Karin but the other one was gripping her own throat; sweat glided her body and her mouth was opened in a bestial scowl

" _Food, kill, must eat_. No leave me, leave me I said."

These words came out from Lena's mouth but they came confused, bestial and human-like at the same time. As if two beings lived now inside Lena's body. The Claymore's body started trashing and moving like a broken machine, hitting beds and pieces of equipment. Luckily Karin managed with her remaining forces to drag away a conscious but still weakened Mordin away from this new danger.

" _Must eat_. No eating. Leave me. _Let me_. Go! _Food_!"

Lena's raving suddenly stopped and the girl collapsed on the floor like a puppet with its strings broken. A terrible wind erupted from her body that almost knocked Karin down. Medicines, bed sheets and other pieces of furniture flied like leaves captured by a cyclone.

" _Foolish Claymore_. Insane beast. _This_ body _is_ M _i_ n _e_!" shouted Lena in rage.

"Amazing" whispered Mordin, omni-tool opened and always the scientist even now "Lena's body is forcefully expelling yoki substances from her body."

The sudden tempest lasted only ten seconds but they were more than enough to devastate what little was left of the infirmary. Beds were broken, medicines littered the floor, pieces of equipments were scattered like small metal leaves. At the center of all this a now human Lena, barely moving and now apparently normal. Gone were the claws and the talons, gone the yellow eyes and the abnormal growth. She was whole and sane once again, at least she appeared so.

So surprised was Karin by this predicament that she didn't even noticed the small explosion behind her followed by Shepard and the others entering inside the infirmary with guns ready.

"Doctor Chackwas, are you ok?" asked Shepard concerned by her battered appearance while Jack and Jacob kept their weapons aimed at Lena just to be sure "What the hell happened here?"

"I...i do not how" tried to say doctor Chackwas but words failed her. Thankfully Mordin helped her

"I made a mistake Shepard. My experimental treatment proved to be disastrous."

Shepard looked at what was five minutes ago a fully functional infirmary

"A destroyed infirmary, biological warning flashing all over the ship and all you can say is -a mistake!?-"

"Commander, we can explain everything" said doctor Chackwas with a whisper "But first let's help Lena. I know that it will sound crazy to you, but she is the only victim of all this mess."

 **Fifteen hours later. Lena's chamber**

-Oh goddesses my head.- groaned a very dazed and tired Lena. Her head was killing her and all her limbs were stiff for some reason.

She was back on her bed room and the first thing the Claymore noticed was that she was not alone: Raina was next to her, her eyes red and watery; a bit more distant the familiar face of Kelly was also present. She appeared unnerved for some reason.

"Raina" asked Lena weakly "What is that face?"

Raina answered by tackling her with a furious hug.

"You are alive! I was so terrified mom. First you almost die and then you end up on the verge of awakening! I was so scared of losing you mom! Why are you always so reckless?! Cried Raina with tears of fear and joy.

Memories of the previous days came crushing down in a flash: the exploding mech, the time in coma, the incident in the infirmary. She had been gravely wounded and somehow ended up awakening inside the infirmary, only to somehow manage to revert back the process.

She was now a half awakened warrior, just like the seven ghosts.

"Why?" she simply asked to no one in particular "Why am I still alive? I almost killed doctor Chackwas and Mordin. Shepard should have ordered me killed on the spot."

"Shepard would never do such a thing" intervened Kelly for the first time "Karin and Mordin explained to us that your particular condition of yours inside the infirmary happened because of them, besides Shepard would never order the death of an agent without giving him a chance of explaining."

Lena looked at the red-head still standing on her room

"Kelly, not that I am unhappy to see you but, why are you here?"

"Shepard told me to stay with you and warn him in case you woke up. The commander urgently want to speak with you. Apart from that" Raina grabbed her hand and forced her to come closer to the bed

"Mum, she stayed with me while you were sleeping. She was so good and caring, just like Galatea back home." finished Raina with a small smile. Kelly nervously laughed, Lena on the other hand looked at her with neutral eyes.

"Why?" she simply asked Lena "Shepard ordered you to keep an eye on her?"

"Y-yes Lena" answered quickly Kelly, slightly "At least at the beginning. I am the counsellor of the ship after all and so ordering me to keep an eye of your daughter while you were in a coma was not so strange."

"You did more than keep an eye." noticed Lena "Raina does not easily accept strangers entering inside her life."

"The first day she outright refused to speak with me, but in the end I managed to break her shell. Your daughter is a little angel; in the end I decided to stay with her because I could not stand seeing her so...devastated. It was heartbreaking."

Lena for some moments refused to reply, her mind busy absorbing Kelly's words. Then, all of a sudden, she did something the young counsellor would have never expected: she got up and hugged her.

"Thank you." she genuinely said to Kelly "Raina is my life and you helped her when I could not. I will never repay you enough!"

"N-not a problem Lena" answered Kelly surprised by this unexpected outburst of friendship, especially coming from an apathetic girl like Lena. The Claymore noted that she was blushing; maybe she was hugging her too tightly?

"Raina, I need to speak with Shepard for a while; can you stay with Kelly until I come back?"

Raina simply nodded

"Then wait for me. Thanks for everything Kelly, I will be back in a minute."

Lena opened the door of her room

-Assuming Shepard does not decide to end me now that he knows how truly dangerous is a Claymore.- she added darkly

* * *

Shepard was waiting her at the ship's mess hall, just some meters away from her room and yet the short walk from her room was all that it took to see a drastic change in the crew's behavior: people that just one week ago noticed or greeted her now outright avoided her like the plague. No one dared to talk near her but her ears caught hushed sentences and whispered words said behind her, when they thought she was too far for listening them.

It was almost like being at home once again.

When she reached the mess hall Lena noticed that Shepard was waiting for her together with Miranda. The pair, in contrast of the rest of the crew, acknowledged her at least.

"Ah Lena, glad to see you are back in the saddle! We missed your sword during this week, especially when dealing with a problem for Zaeed." said Shepard waving at her. Miranda said nothing. "Have a seat, we have much to discuss."

Lena complied without saying a word, her face one of a person ready to die

"Before we begin Lena, I want to tell you that Mordin and Doctor Chackwas explained me everything in details about the little incident inside the infirmary and I know that what happened some hours ago was not your fault so wipe that cadaveric smug from your face. No one want to execute you, however someone" Shepard launched an annoyed look at Miranda "Expressed some serious concern about your mental and physical stability, urging me to break the contract signed when we met on Omega."

Lena sighted in resignation. She had expected something like this to happen

"So I am out of the squad?" she asked. Shepard looked at her and smiled

"No."

"What!?" exclaimed both Miranda and Lena in utter surprise

"You heard me well girls." answered Shepard

"But commander, this is insane!" intervened Miranda "Agent Lena is clearly a danger for the crew and the mission in general! We cannot afford to keep a person like her on the team! She is like a ticking bomb inside the squad and now we have a Krogan who can substitute her. Let's just dump her on a Cerberus facility and be done with it!"

Lena scowled at the idea but refused to comment. After all there was some truth in Miranda's word and the girl was not cruel; just callous.

"As I said" patiently answered Shepard "Lena's peculiar condition was caused by a mistake made by Mordin, not by herself. Accusing her of being the true danger would be like accusing my gun of overheating only because I kept my finger on the trigger."

"Is the principle that count!" insisted Miranda "Now we know that something like this could happen. What if she transform right into the middle of a battle?"

This time Lena refused to stay put

"Wait Miranda, this kind of transformation happen only when a Claymore like me goes beyond her limit and flood her body with 80% of her yoki energy and I would never do such a thing by myself."

"But can you tell me that you possess an absolute control of your ability? That you would not risk going beyond your limit during a particular brutal engagement?" replied Miranda unfazed

"I cannot give you an absolute answer but"

"Then it is not enough!" finished Miranda "This team must be composed by efficient and dependable agents. At least a Krogan does not"

"Enough!" bellowed Shepard with his authoritarian voice, and Miranda quickly complied.

"By following your reasoning I should kick out from the team both Grunt and Jack or do you think consider them stable? Lena is dangerous but also powerful, besides kicking her away would drop the agents's morale."

"How so?" asked Miranda

"Apart from you and Zaeed, all others agents see Lena as a valuable member of the team and told me that would not mind fighting alongside her, even after this little incident."

"The others are a bunch of idiots!" this time Miranda lost her composure and slammed her fists on the table "Garrus is fine with whatever you want, Jacob and Kasumi a pair of softies, Jack is just happy to have another mad woman inside the ship, Grunt is only an attack beast right now and Mordin only want to analyze her!"

"And you are the supposed perfect woman who is now trowing a tantrum for nothing. My decision is final Miranda, if you are not fine with it go cry on the Illusive Man's shoulder for not plugging inside my brain a control chip. Dismissed."

If look could kill Shepard would have been incinerated on the spot.

"Fine Shepard." she simply said in the end, just before leaving both Shepard and Lena, stomping all the way thought the lift barely containing her frustration and anger.

"Thank you Shepard" said some seconds later Lena, and she really meant it

"You can thank me by telling me what you truly are." answered Shepard "You see, during these days on the Normandy I noticed a lot of strange eccentricities about you, first of all your language: you speak with a translator up but according to EDI your are speaking in French, only that kind of French used nine hundreds years ago in the province of Aquitaine. Curious don't you think? Second thing, you do not like technology and prefer fighting using only a sword and some grenades, and yet your martial ability when using that giant lump of metal of yours are amazing, worthy of a sword mistress of the past; now correct me if I am wrong but you need at least ten years of rigorous training before reaching this kind of level no matter the mutations inside your body, meaning that on Omega you already knew how to fight. Am I right?"

Shepard's words were calm but sharper than her sword

"There is another thing that surprised me: Cerberus possess one of the biggest and most detailed spy network of the galaxy, second only the Shadow broker's one and yet they know nothing about you: you just appeared on Omega two years ago, brought by a common smuggler/slaver during one of his work trips. No ID card, no credit cards, no banking movements, nothing. You call yourself a Claymore, an apt name considering your favorite weapon, and by the way you talk there are more like you out of here, but there are no records of such a group in the galaxy, not even the faintest trace. You would think we would have noticed by now a secret organization that create warriors like you."

Shepard looked at Lena right into her eyes

"Care to explain?"

"Commander" began Lena uncertain about how to proceed "I must ask you to forgive me, because I cannot do so. It is not that I do not trust you, is just...you would not believe me. First I need something from the bastard that kidnapped and sold me on Omega; once I shall have that I will be ready to tell you my story. Again forgive me but it is necessary."

Shepard looked at her with an indecipherable expression for several seconds and Lena feared that such a weak (but sincere) denial had only angered the commander; all these concerns evaporated when Shepard started laughing of all things, leaving the Claymore and the crew near him, dumbfounded.

"This is incredible" said Shepard between the laughs "Here I am, a dead specter that Cerberus managed to resurrect of all things, and you still think that your story is too crazy to be narrated."

Lena looked at Shepard with incredulous looks. Resurrected? Seriously?

Shepard noticed her looks and sighted

"And now you look at me with that incredulous look, when the entire galaxy know about this at this point. You really know nothing about this universe, am I right? Fine Lena, I will let you collect your evidence but do not take too long please. Hell I am also ready to give you a hand if you need."

"I...thank you Shepard, for everything." said Lena stunned by this display of trust

"Don't mention it. You deserved it after two successful missions. Speaking of missions, I need you for a particular operation on planet Berkenstein. Are you up for it or need more rest?"

"Ready whenever you are Shepard" answered Lena without a doubt "What is it this time? Infiltration, assassination, recruitment?"

Shepard flashed at her a devious smile

"A party, Lena."

 **End of chapter eight. I am slowing down a bit because real life is catching up and I cannot pass all the time writing. Hope you do not mind**

 **Happy easter for every believer, if not happy holiday!**


	10. Chapter 9 trusting others

Chapter 9

Trusting others

 **Here is chapter nine with the Berkestein mission. Not exactly my favorite but still good, i hope at least.**

 **It will a while before i shall submit the next chapter i fear. I need to think about my exams after all**

 **Normandy sr2, 21 march 2185, Lena's chamber. 9 45 ship hour**

"What is the meaning of this?!" asked a pissed off Lena to the uninvited guests now residing inside her room. She had just finished a long and tiring training session with Shepard discussing about the next mission: it was a pretty straightforward infiltration mission, the objective entering inside the mansion of a certain someone called Donovan Hock, finding his treasure trove and recuperating an item called Graybox, whatever it was. Apparently this Graybox belonged to Kasumi's fiancee and recuperating the item was a must if Shepard wanted to keep her inside her team. Shepard accepted without complaints: he was no stranger to helping his squad mates and besides, Kasumi warned him that the information contained inside the object could have destabilized the entire Human Alliance.

Unfortunately Donovan Hock is not some common Blue suns thug or your average run of the mill criminal, on the contrary he is a member of the galaxy's upper society. Storming his house gun blazing was out of the question unless Shepard wanted to cause a diplomatic disaster, hence the infiltration mission.

Hock is a sybarite, Shepard knew that, and that was the reason Shepard asked for Lena's collaboration for this mission: he was about to infiltrate inside Hock's house under a fake ID as a wealthy smuggler and what better (and plausible) escort than the infamous Ripper? She was his entry card and a perfect backup in case things went downhill.

Lena was annoyed by all of this but still agreed to help. Such infiltration missions were rare but not unheard inside her planet and impersonating a spoiled brat or a professional whore was something that could be easily done by the young Claymore.

What she could not foresee was to find both Kasumi and Kelly inside her quarters, quarters now invaded with dozens of pretty dresses and boxes of vanity.

"Isn't it obvious?" answered Kasumi with a smirk "Shepard told me that you accepted to help him for this mission, and I will never stop thanking you for this by the way, so me and Kelly decided to come inside your room with all our dresses and cosmetics just to give you a hand, especially when Raina told us that you are not an expert in make up and pretty dresses."

"Raina!" said Lena scolding the child. Raina quickly refuged herself behind Kelly's legs hoping to avoid Lena's wrath, something that made Kasumi smirk under her hood

"Aah, don't be too hard on poor Raina, we had already noticed it anyway. Now be a good girl and let us do our work dear, I promise you that you shall not be disappointed. I scoured at least a dozen of boutiques during this week the moment Shepard told me about your involvement."

Lena looked at the various dresses as if they were an army of yomas ready to kill her: unlike some vain Claymores like Galatea and Audrey she hated dressing up with this kind of stuff and for good reason. Most dresses were nothing more that elaborate traps, somehow capable to stop even the most basic of movements while still showing off most of her skin, and the high-heeled shoes that high class ladies liked so much both here and on her word were no more that an elaborate form of torture in the Claymore's opinion.

"Kasumi" said Lena while trying to resist the urge of kicking both of them out "I am going to accompany Shepard as the Ripper, not as some common whore with the sole purpose of showing off my cleavage. Hock is expecting a warrior at her ball, a well dressed warrior but still a warrior. These dresses" Lena took one of them, nothing more that some linen strips in her opinions "Are simply stupid."

This time Kasumi looked at her as if she was some kind of stubborn child

"Lena, Lena, Lena. You may be a famous gladiator but Hock accepted to have you on his feast because he want to parade you. He is not preparing a ring for you to fight, he just want to show to his guests that among his network of occasional friends there is the infamous Ripper and for this you shall need a pretty dress and a pretty make up, so stop complaining and let us work!"

"A normal dress will be more than enough, goddesses damnit!" retorted Lena "Kelly, tell her this, tell her that I am right."

"Actually, as your counsellor, I agree with Kasumi." chirped Kelly "I noticed during our talks that you tend to see yourself as some kind of ugly creature, unworthy of any attention, and this simply will not do. You are such a pretty woman Lena, and the feast of this day will be the proof. This mission is an unorthodox way of letting you see this but it is still good enough."

"See? Even Kelly want to see you all dolled up and Shepard gave me the authorization. Now, if you do not have any other objections" Kasumi grabbed the nearest box of vanity, her grin now nothing short of evil "Let us begin."

Lena instinctively stepped back from the two women, cold sweat now falling down from her temple. For some reason she sensed that she was more in danger now than during an awakened hunt.

* * *

So, let me get this straight" said Joker to a now well dressed and unharmed Shepard waiting for Lena near the shuttle. For this occasion the commander was wearing a dress borrowed from Kasumi, a long black silken dress coupled with leather shoes, and completely devoid of any holster for weapons, something that made him feel almost naked. His gift, a man sized statue of Saren Arterius (Packed to the brim with weapons and armors) was already inside the shuttle's cargo bay, waiting to be handed to Hock and to have his mortal load the moment Shepard, Lena and Kasumi managed to break inside the vault.

The irony of Shepard of all people gifting to someone a statue of Saren was not lost for the Specter; Kasumi clearly possessed an interesting sense of humor.

"You, the only human specter in the galaxy, want to infiltrate inside Hock's mansion during a feast, mingle with an army of yellow-glowed bastards while Kasumi search Heck's vault, break said super-armored vault without making a noise and go away tip toeing with the booty. Is this your plan?"

"Yes, pretty much." answered Shepard

"And here I thought you were crazy two years ago, during Saren's hunt." sighted the pilot while smirking

"You are more than insane Shepard, but if there is someone who can pull something so stupid out, that one is you."

"Come one Joker, it is not so bad" said Shepard "Very few people actually know my face, they only know me as a helmeted N7 soldier thanks to some posters made by Alliance command as propaganda for the newbies. Hell last time my face got broadcasted was when I punched that annoying reporter called Khalisa on the Citadel!"

"Yeah I remember that" chirped Joker "Girl got that coming, she literally accused you of being an incompetent commander in front of all her viewers."

"Right and besides, I will not be alone. Lena will come with me."

"Ah right, I forgot! Our resident Valkyrie will come with you, now I feel much better."

Shepard raised an eyebrow, amused.

"Valkyrie, seriously? Speaking of which, what do you think about her?"

"Let's see" said Joker "Half the crew think she is a dangerous psychopath, even more dangerous than Jack. The other half think that she is the poor victim of some kind of crazy Frankenstein. For me, I have to admit that she remind me of good old Wrex: she almost never speak, look at most of us as if we are only annoying ants and is more than ready to nail on a wall anyone who tries to piss her off.

All things considered I do not mind her, as long as she stay away from me when she has her period."

"Joker!"

"Oh come on! It was just a joke commander."

Their friendly banter was interrupted when Kasumi entered inside the hangar

"Sorry for the delay Shepard, Lena proved to be an interesting challenge, but now she is ready." the smirking Kasumi turned toward the door

"Come on Lena, come in."

"A second, goddesses damnit." answered Lena's voice followed by a constant clicking "Those heels are killing me."

The Claymore finally entered inside the hangar and even Joker stopped bantering for a second.

Gone was the pretty but gruff girl of the past, replaced by a true beauty: her long hair, usually tied on a strict ponytail, were now freely flowing along her entire body; her silver eyes shined thanks to a small touch of black eyeliner and her lips now showed ruby lipstick. A pearl necklace, courtesy of Kasumi, now rested on her white neck and a long, silken dress hugged the Claymore like a glove, covering Lena's entire body and yet showing off all her curves without a problem. Black, leather high heeled shoes completed the picture and Joker whistled in appreciation at the sight in front of him.

"Please, stop looking at me like that commander." said Lena with a scowl "This is not funny."

"It is not because you are funny, is because" Shepard stuttered for a moment "Aah, forget it! If you are ready we can go."

"Do not listen to them Lena" chirped Kasumi to the girl "You look amazing! Hock will open the vault for you the moment you shall ask him to do so."

"Kasumi is right." added Shepard while they entered inside the shuttle "We will be fine. Just remember: today I am not Odin Shepard."

"I know I know!" huffed Lena clearly annoyed by all of this "You are Solomon Gunn, infamous mercenary and red sand smuggler. I studied the plan Shepard." she placed herself in one of the seats "Let's just get over this. I miss my sword already."

 **1 hour later. Berkenstein planet. Hock's mansion.**

The outside of the mansion was spectacular, Lena had to give Hock that: a beautiful garden filled with many rare trees and flowers stretched for hundreds of meters creating a soothing environment for the Claymore's eyes. The front of the palace (because what she was in front of her could not be described as a simple mansion) displayed a variety of crystal windows and precious marbles slabs that would have made the wealthiest noble back on her home-planet green with envy. Marble fountains created playful games everywhere and the floor itself was covered by a kilometer long red carpet.

The only sore spot of all of this display of wealth were the armored mercenaries just outside the door.

"Here is our host Lena" said Shepard pointing at a man in his early forties dressed in white.

They slowly reached him, trying to appear as natural as possible. Kasumi had already concealed herself and sneaked inside so there was no risk of getting caught for now

"Mister Gunn, Miss Lena" Hock greeted them when he noticed the both of them. His voice was gentle but careful

"Welcome to my humble abode. A pleasure to have here such a famous mercenary and the great Ripper."

"The pleasure is all ours, mister Hock. I hope our gift is one worthy of your collection." answered Shepard politely. Lena took it a step further and offered him her right hand for a hand kissing, something that Hock quickly and elegantly did. Judging by his looks he was clearly more interested in her rather than Shepard.

"Oh it is." assured them Hock "A golden statue of the specter Saren Arterius. Once there were other statues like that, but most of them had been destroyed after his betrayal to the Council, so it is priceless for collectors like me. Come inside please, most of the guest are already here and my house is ready to receive you."

"Of course mister Hock." said Shepard taking his leave. The pair entered inside Hock's mansion that proved to be even more luxurious than its outside: giant ceramic lamps, wooden walls where gentle streams of water flowed inside artificial canals; rare paintings, marble floors and crystal windows were everywhere in an opulent display of wealth. Guests of every race and dressed with expensive clothes mingled everywhere, their mistresses not far behind, all happily chatting and discussing whatever topic was at hand. Half of them stopped in their track when they saw the infamous Ripper entering the hall.

"Congratulation Lena, you just entered and half of the guests, mistresses included, want to eat you alive!" whispered Shepard to Lena "This will make our job far easier." Lena simply groaned

"Let the show begin!"

 **20 minutes later**

"I am just saying that this Archangel fellow was not so dangerous after all. It was only a lone vigilante with delusions of grandeur."

Lena felt the almost irresistible urge to strangle the man who just spoke, a human in his mid thirties now elegantly sipping wine from a crystal goblet. Some kind of rich bastard for what she managed to understand.

Only twenty minutes had passed since Shepard ordered her to mingle with the guests while he and Kasumi busied themselves with finding a way to break Hock's vault and already the young Claymore wanted to massacre the people inside the palace.

The guests were simply disgusting: notorious slavers, rich embezzlers, cruel mercenaries, famous swindlers. The scum of the universe was all here, all of them well dressed and bragging about their famous exploits; all of them incapable of seeing the world without a diamond lens. Mingling with such filth proved to be quite difficult for Lena, especially considering that half of the guests shamelessly tried to flirt with her all while ogling at her body.

-Goddesses, grant me strength!- thought the frustrated Claymore

"I do not agree, dear guest." said another person, a famous Batarian slaver richly dressed in a gold garb.

"People like Archangel are a threat to honest workers like us and the faster are killed the better it is."

"Dear Ripper, what do you think about that?" intervened another person, an elderly man with two twin Asari escorts next to him; all three of them were eating her out with their eyes.

"After all you fought for years inside the arenas of the station. Surely something about him must have reached your ears."

-More than something you asshole! I fight with him now.- she thought but quickly swallowed such words, flashing instead her biggest smile all while drowning her disgust with a long shot of Champagne

"Noble friend, I am an artist. I do not waste my precious time gossiping about some mad Turian on a killing spree, I have better things to do."

"True, then maybe you could tell us how such a gentle flower like you can become such a fierce tiger inside the arena. Even Krogans are no match for you." said then one of the Asari escorts, lust sparkling in her eyes.

Thanks the goddesses Shepard saved her from these people a second before she decided to punch the flirting bitch straight in the face

"Gentlemen, I need my escort for a moment." he said grabbing Lena from behind and dragging her on a quiet corner

"Well?" she asked Lena once they were alone

"We found the vault and we know how to open it, but it will be tricky. Me and Kasumi shall find the DNA sample and the exact password, your duty is breaking the secondary generator and recording Hock's voice. Here" Shepard handed her a small circular device

"You can use it to find the generator; you can also use it to record Hock's voice. Once you are done follow the map I just uploaded inside your omni-tool, it will bring you to the vault."

"Very well Shepard. I will be quick." answered Lena

"Good luck." said Shepard, and quickly went away.

Lena immediately started searching for this secondary generator, looking at every nook and cranny of the enormous mansion all while trying to appear just another curios guest, looking at the various paintings and commodities, trying to be incospicious. After ten minutes she finally found her prize, a little hatch hidden behind some books on a small library containing some copper wires. A lightning movement and the wire was broken, so fast than no one noticed her doing so.

Perks of being super fast with her limbs.

"Dear Ripper" said someone near her and Lena almost jumped in surprise for this. So focused had been to her task that she didn't noticed the arriving of nothing less than Donovan Hock in the flesh, a small smile on his lips and two crystal glass on his hands. He looked calm, and if he noticed her fiddling with the panel he refused to show it.

"I was looking for you. It is not every day that you meet a legend such as you in the flesh. Can I offer you a drink?"

Lena slowly accepted the drink all while with her left hand activated the machine

"I thank you for your kind words, dear host; I didn't know you followed my exploits inside the arena."

"How I could not: your fighting style is brutal and yet so graceful. A deadly dance of death just like the warriors of the legends of old."

Hock shortened the distance between them in a small step

"Tell me, dear Ripper, what do you think about this little party of mine?" he asked. There was an hidden meaning behind his question but Lena quickly noticed it and answered accordingly

"That it is a shark's gathering. You invited the most dangerous people in the galaxy inside your house, and in doing so you launched a message: I can invite all of you inside the my own mansion because I am stronger than all of you! Eat my food, drink my wine, but do not forget who is in charge."

Lena flashed at him her most seductive smile

"But I wonder: are you truly strong enough to command them. To command me?"

The taunt clearly excited Hock.

"You are a marvelous woman, dear Ripper. I would really love to know you in a more….intimate way." Two hands touched her shoulders and Lena let them stay in place, although she only wanted to cut them on the spot.

-Be quick with your magic, you stupid machine!- she thought annoyed, and as if possessing a will of its own the machine warned her that it now possessed the vocal track

"Another time maybe" said Lena freeing herself from Hock's embrace "I am not an easy woman to catch, mister Hock. I assure you though that if one day you shall manage to win me" Lena touched Hock's chest with the edge of her fingers "You will not be disappointed." and with this phrase Lena took her leave, leaving behind Hock without turning back.

-Thanks the goddesses this part of the mission is over.- she thought while moving toward the vault. Audrey would have loved flirting with half the people inside this place but she was not Audrey.

She quickly reached the vault, protected by an enormous metal door; Shepard and Kasumi were already here and Lena handed to them the machine without saying a word. Next to them the statue of Saren was already opened, showing his deadly cargo to everyone.

Lena did not even wasted a second and immediately took her weapon and armor from the statue, wanting only to get away from the dress. She found a dark spot inside the room and quickly began changing away from both Shepard and Kasumi

"Great job boys and girls." chirped the thief while they changed in a more practical outfit "Now give me a minutes and..." she worked a bit with both her omni-tool and the small machine; a little while later the door of the vault opened themselves without a sound

"We are in."

A small smile crept on Shepard's lips

"Good job Kasumi."

"Piece of cake. Gentlemen, after you." answered Kasumi with a small smile and letting them pass.

A few seconds and they were all inside Hock's vault.

* * *

"Unbelievable!" said Shepard for the tenth time since he entered inside Hock's personal vault. He knew that the man was an infamous collector and that he possessed some rare items but this…this was insane!

Quarian scripts, Krogan statues, old ceramics, even the Michelangelo's David and the head of Lady Liberty! The rarest and most important pieces of art in the entire galaxy were here, under his nose.

-Son of a bitch- cursed silently Shepard -I will make sure they throw you in the deepest, darkest cell for this. I have all the proofs that I need inside my omni-tool now.-

If Shepard was livid Kasumi was giddy, a girl brought by her parents inside a candy shop and marveling at the sight, something that annoyed Lena to no end.

"Wow, Quarian scriptures! Never seen one before, and all those interesting pieces of art, and the David of Michelangelo! Lena, could you carry the David back on the ship for me? Pretty please? You are strong, I am sure you would have any problem in doing so."

"No" flatly answered Lena, annoyed by the girl's antics for a broken statue. I mean, it was a pretty statue, but all broken and dismembered so why all this ruckus?

"Spoilsport" pouted Kasumi under her hood, but her scowl quickly disappeared when they reached a small display case containing a black, rectangular box

"Shepard, I found it!" shouted Kasumi while grabbing the small device "Keigi's blackbox, and it is intact. And this" Kasumi grabbed a gun placed next to the object. A machine gun, colored white and quite flimsy.

"This is a Locus machine gun. No, THE Locust machine gun." said Kasumi with awe "The weapon that killed two presidents. Here Lena, take it. A thank you gift for your help."

"Sure about it?" asked Lena while grabbing the weapon. It was lighter that she thought. "I am not the best with ranged weapon.

"The Locust is a piece of art Lena, and so light that it will not impede you in the slightest. Trust me in this."

In the end Lena accepted the gift and placed the weapon on her hip.

"Well that went smoother than I expected. Now, let's take the gray box and" Shepard was interrupted by the sound of a generator powering up, and a second later Hock's face showed up inside the room covering an entire section of the wall, smirking at them.

"You reeeally had to say that Shepard? Hadn't you?" Pouted Kasumi annoyed

"Excellent job Kasumi! I see that your fame is well deserved; you even managed to get the Ripper's help." said the holographic image of Hock "Now open the Gray box and I will let you live."

"Do I know you?" asked Kasumi now deadly serious "I do not like disappointing my admirers."

"The Gray box, Kasumi" insisted Hock "Or you will suffer like your boyfriend."

"We shall see about that."

A door at the end of the hall opened, revealing a dozen of mercenaries already pointing their weapons at them.

A gun fight quickly began and Shepard was forced to scramble for cover while grabbing his weapons.

"Now it is your time to shine!" Said Kasumi to Lena and Shepard. Shepard groaned, more annoyed than anything else. Could he have a mission going up smoothly for once?

 **Thirteen minutes later**

Another mercenary died under Lena's blade, while a small squadron next to her exploded when Shepard used a grenade against them. These soldiers were determined, Lena had to give them that.

After killing the first squad inside Hock's vault Shepard guided them trough the underground network of warehouses and depots placed inside the mansion, all while killing small mechs and soldiers that tried to stop them. This place was a maze worthy of the building that it sustained: massive and yet clean and luxurious at the same time.

Of course most of his luxury disappeared the moment corpses and pieces of mechs began littering the ground.

When the squad finally reached the exit, after passing at least four other rooms and killing even more mercenaries, they found a massive metal gate, strictly closed and impenetrable by small arm fire. Any attempt to open it with conventional means failed and even Lena and her superior strength proved useless.

"Some ideas about this door Shepard?" asked Kasumi after the third attempt at hacking the door.

Shepard looked at the door, then at the room where they were now standing. It was a pretty standard place, rectangular in shape and packed to the brim with various objects traded by Hock on the black market: guns, ammunitions, paintings, deactivated mechs, stolen tanks…

A small smile crept on Shepard's face when he saw among the smuggled goods an Alliance heavy tank, their outside ticket.

"Ladies, stay away from the door" said Shepard smiling. They looked at him puzzled but complied.

Shepard's omni-tool flashed into life and the specter activated remotely the huge tank. Most of its systems were deactivated but the display showed that it was still loaded with warheads, and thanks to his clearances codes he managed to bypass this problem and power up the main gun.

A second later a superheated a.p. warhead blasted the metal door to pieces.

"Next time warn us Shepard." said Lena annoyed, her ears still ringing.

"And where is the fun in that?" answered Shepard with a smile "Come on, let's go outside."

* * *

The blast was heard also inside the mansion, where various guests stopped moving for a second trying to understand what happened; some even panicked a bit.

"Please do not be scared" quickly said Hock to his guests "I am sure it was just a small incident." and then he ordered the various drones to double the refreshments

"What the hell are you doing down here?" hissed quietly on the inter comm when he managed to be alone "Have you finally killed them?" he received an answer from a panicked mercenary telling them that half of his hired guards were dead and the targets were escaping.

"Bunch of idiots! Go outside and slaughter them! I am paying you for something no?" and then he killed the contact.

-Better getting the situation in my own hand.- he decided in the end

* * *

"We are out, finally" said Lena relieved looking at the landscape. They were upon some kind of metal terrace just outside the mansion. Crates of many sizes were everywhere and tubes of various size moved next to them, probably bringing inside the house the necessary water and energy. A lush forest was just some miles from their position.

"Do not get too cocky Lena." said Shepard "We are not out of the bushes yet." and as on cue a dozen more mercenaries immediately charged their position forcing them to take cover and last but not least, a gunship soared the sky and started hammering their positions.

"We could have done this the easy way Kasumi" said Hock inside the gunship "Now let me show you the hard way."

Shepard fired a missile against the ship but a blue barrier enveloping the aircraft stopped it without a problem, making the commander curse him under his breath

"Shepard, Lena, I know how to deal with that shield." said Kasumi "You take care of the remaining mercenaries."

"Got it." said Shepard "Lena, charge!" and so Lena did. For one last time during this mission Lena sprinted against the new threat, too fast for the poor mercenaries to stop, and clashed against their lines like a thunderstorm. She impaled the first soldier using her momentum, then she quickly ripped another apart with a horizontal slash. Bullets hit her barriers like a rain of metal and soon all defenses collapsed but still Lena slashed and thrusted, killing and maiming anyone foolishly enough to get to close to her, flushing out all others mercenaries and not caring about the small holes than now littered her armor. Shepard kept hammering down the flushed down enemies in a barrage of incendiary bullets, shredding armor and flesh alike. The enemy tried to retaliate but closed between Lena's sword and Shepard's marksmanship they stood no chance and in the end littered the floor of the balcony with their broken bodies.

At the same time Kasumi moved against the gunship with a speed and agility that left everyone speechless. The girl effortlessly jumped across the intricate web of crates and tubes, moving too fast for Hock and his bulky ship that fruitlessly fired against her with her main gun, and quickly managed to jump above Hock's gunship. Such were the beauty of her movements that even Lena looked at her for a second despite the battle raging on near her. Her footing was incredible, perfect, more akin to a Claymore than to a clumsy human!

-I wonder if she will accept a training partner- mused Lena while killing another enemy -I surely hope so.-

Hock tried to shake Kasumi off his ship but it was all for nothing. Kasumi's hold was perfect and the girl quickly activated her omni-tool tool, inserting a program inside the ship's core. The gunship suddenly trembled and shacked, its precious shield vanishing in a puff of blue smoke. The thief smirked deviously under her hood and saluted Hock with a small wave of her hand, just before jumping down from the ship. She landed on the floor like a cat, gracefully and quickly, and a second later she was already running into cover.

"Cursed thief!" shouted Hack in outrage "I will make you squeal in pain for this, just like your fucking boyfriend!"

"Don't you dare talking about Keigi you filth!" snarled back Kasumi "Shepard, Lena, now!"

They quickly complied and a barrage of anti armor bullets hammered the ship with great effect, and smokes quickly started pouring out from dozens of holes. Even Lena joined the firing, using her new gun that Kasumi just gave to her.

The ship buckled and stuttered all while it absorbed hundreds of bullets. Hock tried to steer away from the danger, but Shepard had other plans.

With a swift movement Shepard discarded the gun and took the grenade launcher, aiming at the thrusters.

"Shepard, he is getting away!" shouted Kasumi distressed but Shepard ignored her

-Just another second.- he thought while he carefully took aim -Another-

The missile escaped from his weapon, his aim perfect, and the warhead hit the ship on its back with devastating damage. The gunship trembled for a second and for a second it looked as if it would have been able to escape.

A second later both its thrusters stopped working and the ship crashed down on the floor like a rock, exploding a second later.

"And this is the end of Hock." smiled Shepard satisfied "Now we can go. Call the ship Kasumi, I am tired of this place."

"Gladly Shepard, and thank you" answered Kasumi "Both of you."

"Not a problem Kasumi" answered Lena "Although I do not understand why that black box is so important."

"A Gray box is a particular device Lena, it allow you to literally store inside it the memories of someone, in this case my dear Keigi. I could not leave it in the hand of his assassin."

"You must have really loved that boy." commented Lena "I envy you. I never had the chance of being loved by someone like your boyfriend, all because of me being a Claymore."

"Aah, do not say things like that Lena!" said Kasumi cooing her "It make you look like a small, sad puppy with sword. I am sure that one day you shall find someone that will love you and make you feel special. Actually I think that this someone is inside the ship."

"What do you mean?" Kasumi smirked devilishly at this

"It's a secret. Talking about something else, have you something planned after the mission?"

"Yes, I have to see Mordin."

"Mordin?! Why?" asked the thief surprised

Because I made a promise to Shepard" said Lena "A promise that I want to fulfill."

 **Normandy sr2, 19 36, Mordin's laboratory.**

Tap tap tap tap. The noise of Mordin working tirelessly on his computer could be heard thought the entire ship. As always the old doctor had immersed himself inside his work, uncaring about simple things as socializing or having fun. Not that many people wanted to speak with him, the only one was commander Shepard and his talks were mostly about possible improvements for the ship or discussing about Mordin's singing talent.

So when the door opened Mordin simply said

"Shepard, how can I help you?"

without even looking up

"I am not Shepard, doctor Solus" it was Lena's voice "I am Lena; I need to speak with you."

Mordin this time looked up, noticing finally the young Claymore still in full battle armor looking at him with a strange expression. For the first time since he decided to follow Shepard inside the Normandy the old doctor looked at the new guest with surprise, his brain trying to understand the reason of this visit.

"Lena, unexpected. Your distrust about scientist quite well known. Here for some specific reason? Shepard sent you?"

"Not exactly, doctor Solus." Lena's voice was strained, almost scared. Mordin immediately noticed this "It is about the incident on the infirmary."

"Ah yes! Terrible mistake from me. My past experiences as xenobiologist made me believe capable of helping you without possessing the proper knowledge. If scared about me trying something like what happened at the infirmary once again then I assure you that it shall not happen. My moral block me from doing such an uncivilized act unless life threatening scenarios are involved. Just wanted to help, still my bad."

"I thought that researchers like you despised the idea of having any kind of moral." said Lena confused

"Some researchers are like that, usually the worst ones. Believe in incorrect reasoning that morals being an obstacle for any line of research. Totally wrong: morals not roadblock, only a challenge. The true researcher always manage to do his work while keeping his morals intact."

"I see" mused Lena "Then now I know this was a good idea. You see doctor, what happened inside the infirmary, we warriors call it partial awakening. Essentially our bodies enter in a different stage of mutation, still stable but different from the usual one. No one clearly know how it work, mostly because besides me only seven warriors are known for reaching such a state. In all due honesty I am a bit scared about all of this, and I thought that a famous scientist like you could be able to shed some light about this peculiar condition of mine."

"You want me to analyze the unknown parasite inside your body, catalogue its biological properties, discover if it is evolving and create a possible cure in case of rampant mutation, all while not possessing a pure genetic sample to analyze and not permitting myself the slightest mistake?"

asked quietly Mordin, and Lena smiled bitterly at these words. The doctor was right, this was insane! Moroni had never seen a Yoma in all his life! How could he

"Marvelous! I accept!"

Lena was abruptly brought back to reality

"Wait, what?"

"My research about Collectors countermeasures almost finished, just missing field test. I was worried about not having anything else to fill my mind and I was ready to start my research on seashells but this is so much better." Mordin was giddy at this point

"Being able to analyze an unknown life form capable of such an interesting and functional symbiotic relationship with a humanoid host never seen in the history of biology! Thank you for giving me such an opportunity! Scared to ask you about this because your distrust of scientists quite easy to see during these weeks."

How the hell Mordin managed to say all of this without breathing was a mystery for Lena

"Yes, I am wary of researchers. In my experience they are ruthless and cold, but Shepard trust you completely so I guess than" Lena's face turned on a scowl, the poor Claymore literally ripped the last words from her mouth "Goddesses! I cannot believe I am about to say this; I guess that, despite being a scientist, I can trust you."

"Marvelous! I assure you that I will not do anything you shall find unpleasant. Can we begin now? Please sit near the machines."

Lena did as he said the Mordin immediately started working

"Good good. I shall need some blood samples, and platelets, and skin fragments, and some nerve tissue, also need to analyze your body in various states of yoki usage and also checking how your organsworkunderyokipressionandwealsoneedtomakeafullbrainscanandsicoverwherethemainpart"

"Doctor!" shouted Lena stunned by the insane stream of words. "Slower please."

"Yes yes, sorry for my outburst. I little excited."

"Another think. You may be a good person but the universe is not. Your research must not cross this laboratory. Shepard is fine but all the others are off limit; are you fine with that."

"Of course. Already destroyed the bugs inside my laboratory. I assure you that no one will know about this. Your distrust is comprehensible, and I do not want to personally discover the sharpness of your sword. Shall we begin now?"

And so they began. Mordin collected dozens of samples of any kind from Lena's body, taking copies of the same piece just in case; dozens of machines examined Lena's body all while the Claymore gradually increased her yoki percentage, allowing Mordin to analyze the various differences; groups of small suction cups were attached over Lena's head, necessary according to Mordin for analyzing her brain.

Lena endured all of this for three hours. Three goddesses damned hours.

When Mordin finally told her that he possessed all that he needed for his research Lena did not even tried to hide her sight of relief.

"Well doctor, it has been a pleasure. Now if you do not need me" Mordin was not even listening her, his mind already on his own word

"Yoki substance infecting 63,2% of the host body constantly and yet no signs of rejections. RNA modified but not the original DNA. Interesting. Reason?" and so on and so on

"Yeah….i guess I will dismiss myself" commented Lena "have a good day doctor." and with these words he left the laboratory, leaving an overexcited Mordin to his work.

-Let's just hope I am not doing a mistake.- she commented in the end

 **Aaaand done. This was a bitch to write, mostly because of real life issues. Still here readers? I hope so**

 **Next time Horizon, where Lena shall make some interesting discoveries about the Collectors, and herself.**

 **Also Mordin is loose.**


	11. Chapter 10 New Horizon

**Chapter 10**

 **New Horizon**

 **Part 1**

 **So, here is part 10! Had to split it up in two otherwise it would have been too long.**

 **As always I do not possess etc. etc. etc. you know the drill at this point.**

 **Have a good reading!**

 **Normandy SR 2, midnight, 17 march 2185, captain's quarters.**

A small light flicked inside commander Shepard's room despite being already midnight. Nothing fancy or big, just a small yellow lamp illuminating the desk placed inside the room where Shepard was currently working. Few knew about this but Odin Shepard loved assembling miniature ships during his free time along with trying to not kill his fishes inside his personal tank, and right now his mind was busy putting together a freshly bought asari cruiser, a challenge for Shepard because of all the smooth and curve lines that their race loved to put everywhere in their designs.

Still, it was almost finished after days of meticulous work. Just some minor pieces.

-Here- thought Shepard while grabbing a small piece of the model with a plier, the last one. -Almost done, just a moment.-

Right in that moment a loud beeping sound invaded his personal quarters, loud enough to make Shepard's reflexes jump in full alert and destroy the small ship in the process with both his hands.

Shepard looked at the pile of broken pieces at his feet all while the beeping refused to stop, a second before a fully functional albeit unfinished model of the Destiny Ascension, and started blinking, repeatedly.

-Ok Shepard, count until ten. One, two, three…- thought Shepard while restraining the anger.

After some seconds he finally slammed the button of his omni-tool.

"This is better be important EDI" grumbled Shepard.

"It is. The Illusive man just sent me a message. He says that he know where the Collector will attack next and wish to speak with you. He also said that we do not have much time before they strike."

Every trace of rage immediately disappeared from Shepard's eyes, replaced by pure adrenaline.

"I will be in the briefing room in a second. Patch him through and warn all the operatives. I want all of them ready in the briefing room in less than ten minutes!"

"As you wish Shepard."

After less than one minute Shepard was already dressed and sprinting toward the briefing room. The ship, woken up by EDI was in total motion; ensigns were scrambling on their post and light flashed on the walls.

It was an emergency, and all knew that emergency for this mission meant only one thing: Collectors

"Patch him through EDI" said Shepard the moment he entered inside the briefing room, and without even awaiting an answer he stepped on the communication platform.

Thankfully the Illusive Man was already here.

"Shepard, glad to see you." said the Illusive man with his usual, calm voice.

"Cut the chit chat! Where are they going to attack?" asked Shepard skipping the pleasantries.

The Illusive man waited until he finished smoking his cigar, something that annoyed Shepard to no end, before answering.

"My network of spies and informants warned me that the Collector's next target is the colony of New horizon."

"How can they be so sure?" inquired Shepard

"Because they saw the Collector's ship exiting from the Omega-4 relay one hour ago, and the only human colony in their actual course is New horizon. They should arrive" the Illusive man checked on his watch "in less than five minutes."

"And you are telling me this only now?!" Roared Shepard furious "New Horizon is at least two hours away from my current position! How are we supposed to" then it finally ticked inside Shepard's brain; the reason for the Illusive man's withholding of informations.

"You want them to arrive on New Horizon unscathed. You want them to subdue the colony so that we can test the anti collector's measures and gather datas without having the Alliance tampering the proofs. You condemned twenty thousand people to death only because you do not want the authority on your head!"

The Illusive man accused the attack without breaking a sweat.

"This is a necessary act, Shepard: warning the Alliance will only bring in the best case scenario a space battle, a total loss of a potential goldmine of information in the worst. We need informations about the Collectors and scouring a colony under attack is the perfect occasion. The loss of those people is unfortunate but you are a soldier Shepard, you should know better than me that sometimes you need to make sacrifices if you want to win a war."

"Easy words to say when you are not the one making the sacrifice." spat Shepard disgusted "I still have friends among the Alliance despite all your attempts at framing my reputation. We could have prepared a trap, destroyed the ship and gathered all the intel from the wreckage."

"Maybe" conceded The illusive man "But still too risky. Anyway these discussions are useless at this point: the Collector are almost here, we have not the time to warn the Alliance and my plan is the only one feasible. I am sure you will do a great work."

Shepard seethed in anger but refused to engage a sterile controversy

"Is there something else that I should know?" he simply asked

"Just one thing. On New Horizon there is an old friend of yours: lieutenant Ashley Williams. Please try to not reveal too many Cerberus secrets when you shall meet her."

That was the last straw for Shepard, and he simply left the platform seething with rage.

-Fucking scheming bastard!- he raged -Him and his end justifies the means bullshit!-

"Joker! Set a course to New Horizon, maximum speed!" barked Shepard to his inter-com "I do not care if you have to punch your way through an army of pissed off Krogans, I want to be near the mass relay in less than five!"

"Aye aye Shepard" chirped Joker. The ship immediately drummed with life and the commander could feel his beloved Normandy sprinting with all her speed. It still felt not enough.

"EDI, all agents of a meeting room now! We have a lot to discuss."

"Yes Shepard."

-Ashley, hold on.- though Shepard while catching his breath.

-Please, hold on!-

 **New Horizon, 12 37 local hour, colony's outskirts**

New Horizon, a small planet placed somewhere in the Terminus system and the perfect candidate for a colonization effort: green ample fields, abundant mineral veins and breathable atmosphere for every known species in the galaxy. A paradise by all accounts, but a paradise placed near the infamous Terminus Systems, and so infested by pirates and slavers, something that dissuaded most governments from trying to establish a colony inside this verdant place.

Until now.

Year 2185. A small group of human settlers, mostly ex soldiers, petitioned the Alliance government and the Council for the right of creating a small settlement on New Horizon. After some debating both the governments granted this small bands of people the rights of colonizing the planet and the Alliance, after seeing that the colony had somehow managed to avoid total annihilation, decided to send to the colonists one of their officer, lieutenant Ashley Williams, along with a sophisticated Gardian system. An insurance against pirate raids.

A great idea, if not for the fact that the colonists were quite jealous of their independence and saw the lieutenant's intrusion and brash attitude as an affront.

"Is the Gardian laser system ready?"

"Not yet. We are still busy calibrating it. Most of ours technicians are still busy repairing the automated harvesting system."

"We would have already be done if not for your stubbornness! A defense system is more important than filling some granaries! What would you do if a pirate war band attacked your colony right now?"

"Chill out will ya? There is nothing on the sensors."

"You say this because you are not one of us! We need those silos full!" and so on and so on.

The second lieutenant Williams descend on the planet was the same second she and half of the colony started arguing about priorities: one wanted to immediately install the Gardian laser system, the others wanted to deal with everything but that.

Ashley sighted loudly and decided to let it drop for this time. The Gardian was important but not that important after all.

-Focus Ash, and remember your assignment. Find Shepard.-

Three weeks ago the Alliance received a message from their informants, a message about commander Shepard and his possible whereabouts. According to the source New Horizon was have about to receive a visit from the infamous commander and the Alliance brass decided to send lieutenant Williams with the order of detaining him for questioning.

Ashley could still not believe it: Shepard a Cerberus agent. Shepard, the same man that befriended a Turian policeman, a Krogan warlord and an Asari archeologist. The same man that stood firm against an entire army of Terra Firma supporters. The same man that loved Tali with a burning passion.

How the fuck was all of this possible?!

Ashley tried to find a plausible explanation for months, all her hypothesis ranging from an Alliance's secret operation to a clone of her former commander, but nothing; the more she managed to dig out about Shepard, the more her theories were debunked: a Cerberus sleeper agent? Shepard destroy one of their cells and send dozens of documents to the Alliance, genuine documents. A mission for the Alliance? He attack the house of a rich art smuggler for no apparent reason. Some kind of deranged crusade for justice? He befriend the infamous Aria T'Loack, queen of Omega.

It was like trying to compose a puzzle that constantly change shape! And the brass's orders were not helping.

The reason why the brass chose her as the officer for this mission was quite obvious for the young lieutenant: they hoped to use Ashley's previous friendship as a weapon, a way to force Shepard to surrender without a fight. They knew that Shepard would have at least hesitated when placed in such a situation and decided to use this vantage. Ashley was no fool, she knew this, and she knew that the brass was right on this account: with all her respect for her former commander Ashley was still a soldier to the bone. Her orders were to detain Shepard? Then the moment Ashley shall meet Shepard she shall point a gun at him.

"Lieutenant" said another colonist now approaching the distracted Ashley. A twenty years old girl called Maia.

"We are receiving a strange signal from orbit. It is not Turian, Batarian, Asari, Salarian or Human. Santiago asked for your presence in the command center."

"Thanks Maia." answered Ashley curtly "Here Williams, I am coming to the command center" she said to her Omni-tool.

No one answered

"The hell!?" she silently cursed. Ashley tried to activate her Omni-too once again but all she managed to gain was some static interference.

-Ok this is not good.- muttered Ashley. Her Omni-tool was a state of the art military piece, designed to work even under the heaviest pressures.

"Something is blocking the signal. Is there some kind of planetary storm incoming?"

"Not for what I know." said Maia now slightly worried

"Then what the hell is happening?"

The answer arrived some seconds later in the form of a nightmare.

At first it appeared as a cloud, a black cloud swirling and moving inside the blue sky like an ominous omen. Then it started descending towards them, against the wind, and too fast.

The moment Ashley recognized the danger was the moment all her blood froze inside her body. They were insects, giant bio-mechanical insects all coming for them.

"Run Maia! Run and warn the others, quickly!" shouted Ashley while grabbing her assault gun. The girl quickly obeyed and started a mad dash toward the colony, all while Ashley tried to cover them with a continuos salvo of bullets, but it was like trying to stop the sea with a bucket. The insect, unfazed by the hail of bullets, simply detached a small contingent of the swarm against the first intruders while the rest of them moved against the colony. One died, shredded by the bullets, then two, three, four. Not enough.

In less than a second they were upon Ashley, a swarming mass of chitin and small claws. The lieutenant tried to ward them off with the butt of the gun but they were too many and soon one of the insect managed to bite her.

The effect were immediate: Ashley's body frozen on the spot, her brain still working but unable to compute. Ashley emitted a silent scream of pain and frustration while her gun collapsed on the ground, her fingers weak and wobbling. She did not collapsed on the grass, the poison acting both as a crippling agent and stasis field; she simply remained on the spot, motionless and conscious, a prisoner inside her own body. All she could do was watching Meia's futile escape attempt while the swarm invaded the colony.

* * *

 **Two hours later**

"There is no answer Shepard. We can safely assume that the Collector have already subdued the colony and moving the prisoners on board their ship now resting on the outskirts of the colony."

"Fucking great!" muttered Shepard. Right now he and all his squad were inside the briefing room, all battle ready and carefully listening. They were all more than ready to bring the battle to the Collectors

"How many Collectors down here EDI?" asked Shepard

"Less than we thought." answered the IA "Most of them appear deactivated or hibernated inside the ship. Only a handful of guards is still moving. I theorize that the Collector work as a swarm and are activated by a higher intelligence only in case of impending danger. The Anti Collector's measures created by Doctor Solus should prevent their awakening."

"How so?" asked Garrus skeptical

"It is simple. Mordin's countermeasures works like a shroud. It will not last forever but it should make us invisible for some time, enough for our mission in theory." answered Shepard

A deafening silence collapsed inside the room

"….In theory?" asked tentatively Lena

"Experimental technology. Impossible to know certain outcome without field test. Curios to see if we shall survive." chirped Mordin

"They shall work Lena. Have some faith." quickly added Shepard.

"And the ship?" asked Miranda

"Inoperative." answered Shepard "they are still busy arranging their cargo."

"When do we descend!? I itch for a fight!" roared Grunt

"Soon. Ok team, we shall split in two squad: first squad will be composed by me, Lena, Jack and Grunt. Second squad will be led by Garrus and will contain Miranda, Kasumi, Mordin, Zaeed and Jacob." They all grimly nodded

"I will not lie to you. This mission will not be easy: the enemy is brutal, advanced and unending, but we have to do something! The Collector think that we are easy prey? Lambs to the slaughter? Let's show them the error of their ways!"

* * *

 **Five minutes later. New Horizon's outskirts**

"First squad here. We are moving to position, no resistance met. Start advancing. Over." Said Shepard on his inter-comm and Garrus quickly told him the same.

-Let's hope it keeps that way.- thought Shepard

"Enemy movements?" asked Shepard to Jack

"Nothing but the scanners are jammed. They cannot see shit after five meters. On the bright side Mr "i cannot keep my shit hole shut for a second"'s work is actually working" commented Jack with a shrug "Those giant ass mosquitos are ignoring us."

"You doubted it."

"Of course I did. You cannot never trust some stupid Salarian techno-bullshit."

Shepard simply rolled his eyes.

The squad kept moving for some minutes, moving through the small sea of white rectangular houses in perfect silence, fingers ready on the trigger (or pommel in one case) and completely silent, their footsteps muffled by the grass under them. During their trip they find no bodies, only empty houses and many strange sarcophagus containing people of various age, all locked in some kind of stasis; they tried to crack open one of the boxes but they were quickly dissuaded by Mordin. Apparently they were ready to self destruct in case of a hasty tampering and time was a luxury that they could not afford right now.

"There should be more boxes like that" muttered Jacob in the inter comm "New Horizon's population number the twenty thousand souls."

"These are the last one." commented Jack grimly "Most of the abducted colonists are already inside."

"Focus on the mission team, we must"

"Shepard, wait." all of a sudden said Lena in an urgent voice. Shepard turned toward her and looked at the girl. Her face was strained and beads of sweat were falling down from her front.

Something was very wrong about her.

"Lena, is there something wrong?" asked Shepard

"Lena, is there something wrong?" Oh, many things were wrong in Lena's opinion, from the eerie atmosphere to the complete lack of bodies, but what really hit the Claymore like a truck the moment her feet touched this accursed planet was the fact that, for the first time in two years, she was feeling yoki energies.

The feeling was unmistakable: Lena could feel them, small splinters of yoki inhabiting dozens of misshapen bodies, all answering to a superior power residing inside the enemy ship. At the same time these yoki energies were unlike any ever meet during her long career as Claymore. Most of the yoki signatures were….Lena was not so sure how to call them. Turned off? Dull? They were not like the yoma from her planet, alive and ravenous. They were silent, subdued.

It was like seeing a yoma guided as a puppet by something else, a sensation that Lena had never felt before, and for some mysterious reason the yoki energies she was sensing were wrong, unnatural; not right.

Assuming you could call something like the yoki "natural" in the first place.

-Just what the hell is going on in this goddesses forsaken place?- she asked to herself.

"Ehi Lady Oscar! You bumped your head or something?" asked Jack smugly. Lena scowled and prepared to reply when her mind sensed some of the yoki energies coming back to life and suddenly moving against them at great speed. They were so sudden, so violent, that for a second Lena lost her focus and started looking fearfully at the sky

"Well?" insisted Jack

"GET DOWN!" shouted Lena. She immediately grabbed a surprised Jack and dragged her away from away from her place, just a second later a salvo of bullets coming from the sky hit the place where she was a second ago. Jack cursed loudly while Shepard and Grunt went to cover behind some walls. Lena looked at where the yoki energies where coming, and for the first time she saw a Collector in the flesh.

They were five of them and they were disgusting: far taller than the average human, their flesh was covered by a thick, chitinous brownish hide. Their heads were long and elongated. Six eyes, all placed on the sides and all gleaming with a yellow light, looked at them with a quiet fury. Her misshapen hands gripped some strange kind of fleshy gun and one strong pair of wings vigorously flapped on their back. The monsters quickly dived in the sky when they noticed that their attack had been unsuccessful, hoping to get a better angle, but Shepard and Grunt immediately reacted with a barrage of bullets that managed to kill one of them and destroy the shield of the other.

"Aah, fuck off!" snarled Jack. She violently kicked Lena away from her and started channeling her biotic energies. A second later another Collector simply exploded, his body torn to shred by a wave of biotic energies.

The three remaining Collectors fired against the group with renewed vigor, one of them even used some kind of biotic attack against Grunt that fortunately bounced against his armor and thick hide. Lena grabbed her newly acquired machine gun and fired against the enemies, her yoki sensing abilities allowing them to follow the Collector's movements. After some seconds of heated firing the battle finally ended, and the last Collector collapsed from the sky, his body a mess of bullets hole. Shepard and the others, thankfully, were mostly unscathed.

"What the fuck was that you asshole!" shouted Jack at Lena the second the skies were clear "Those fuckers moved without a sound and our scanners are shit! How you managed to see them? You have a fucking third eye glued on the sky or something?"

"I am also curios Lena" added Shepard "You were not looking at the sky."

"Is..." tried to say Lena but words failed completely to arrive for a second "It is complicate to explain. I do not know how, but I can feel the Collectors moving inside the city, the ones still active at least. I should not be able to do this, I never met a Collector in the flesh before now, but I can! I sensed those five creatures diving toward us just some seconds ago and I reacted on instinct."

"Just like that?!" said Grunt unconvinced "You simply sensed them?"

"Yes I did you cursed lizard!" snapped Lena annoyed "I do not know how but I can!"

"Quiet now!" Ordered Shepard "We will get to the bottom of that later. Now, can you tell me how many active enemies do we have and where are they right now?"

"I can try." answered Lena "Give me a second."

The Claymore stopped moving for a second and closed her eyes

-Focus- she thought -Breathe in, breathe out. Just like you have learned years ago.-

"I sense…." said the girl after some second of silence "Hundreds of creatures, but most of them are spent, lifeless, although not for long. They are everywhere inside the city, but divided in small groups. Some of them are insane, wrong even when compared to a Collector. There is also something else; a mind, far more ancient and complex that the ones of the Collectors. It is watching us, judging us, but it is still unsure about what to do. He is like the queen of the entire swarm, but he is so….far from here. What I am sensing is just an echo, and it is enough to make me shiver."

She quietly returned to her silent state, all while Shepard digested the information he had just received and changed his battle plan accordingly. Some seconds later Lena reopened her eyes and assumed a tired expression

"That is all Shepard. Cannot feel anything else."

"But you can still sense the Collectors moving, right?"

"That is correct."

"Then change of tactic" he pointed at the road with his gun "You stay on point. The moment one Collector start moving against us or the second squad you warn me. Do not bother about fighting unless I order to say so, just act as our spotter."

"Understood."

"And now Lady Oscar is a bitch-sniffing antenna." muttered Jack "As if this mission was not strange enough already."

"I can hear you Jack!" huffed Lena while moving. Shepard simply smirked.

And so they continued their mission with Lena at the head, guiding them like strand of thread inside a labyrinth, turning left or right all of a sudden with the sole purpose of avoiding the biggest clusters of enemies, quietly warning Shepard when the second squadron was on the verge of meeting heavy resistance, allowing them to surprise small groups of isolated enemies, all while their Omni-tool scanned, analyzed and checked every possible piece of Collector technology left by their masters (Their bodies always self destructed themselves after being killed).

They quickly discovered what Lena meant with the -insane even by Collector's standards- when they met some Husks, slaves of the Reapers half machines half human that always charged them like a pack of rabid hounds. They were so disgusting that even Lena retched with rage at the mere sight of them.

Thanks to this unexpected boon both the squads managed to gain a substantial amount of information while avoiding most of the enemies, a good notice quickly followed by another one from EDI

"Shepard, there is a Gardian system placed inside the colony. It is still inactive and need a complete recalibration but it could be used against the Collector's ship. I can repair it if you link me inside the system. Sending coordinates now."

"Now this is a good news." chirped Jack

"Yes but Shepard, our exploration is unnerving the Collectors." warned them Lena "I sense more and more of them awakening from their slumber. I will not be able to avoid them soon. I think that we overstayed our welcome."

"I see." muttered Shepard "Still we have entire terabytes of datas already stored inside our omni-tools and some of their weapons, and the second squad just told me that their hunt was also successful. I think we can immediately go for the laser."

"But I still want to kill Collectors!" lamented Grunt "They are the best enemies! They never run and they are so powerful."

"I am sure some of them will try to stop us big guy" chirped Jack

"Wait." this time it was Lena "A patrol is coming this way, but one is different. It is like..." all of a sudden started wheezing in pain, her eyes filling with tears.

"Lena, what it is?" asked Shepard worried

"One of them...is the echo….to cover!" Lena half shouted half murmured, and just in time. Another patrol of ten Collectors and three Husks reached them and immediately started firing. They were all the same like the others previously fought, all armed with guns and covered in thick carapace of glowing shields, but this quickly changed. One Collector started glowing from the inside, changing in front of their eyes. Its skin cracked while artificial veins compared on his skin, its eyes flashed like a burning bonfire and its energy signature sky rocked, something that gave to Lena one hell of a headache. The creature flied upward and started firing powerful biotic attack against the squad and, more importantly than that, it spoke.

" _Shepard, you cannot win! Your species will be harvested, just like thousands of them have been harvested before. You keep delaying the inevitable, and for this you mast be destroyed_."

Shepard was unfazed by the threat and simply continued firing at the Collectors

"You are a Reaper, aren't you? You are possessing that Collector's body just like the Sovereign possessed Saren." All around him bullets flied and Collectors died under the relentless assault of biotics, weapons and attack from his squad. The Husks fared no better, discovering that Lena was more than a match against them in close quarters.

" _Your destiny is already written. We shall be your salvation through your destruction. The one you called Sovereign was the vanguard. I am the Herald."_

The creature was tough. Shepard had to give it that. Dozens of bullets hit it square in the chest, but his barriers held, and when that barrier finally collapsed the armor proved to be quite formidable. Thankfully the small flies had already been killed by his squad, although Grunt took a heavy hit to the chest and was now slightly limping.

-Will have to apply medi-gel later- Shepard thought to himself all while avoiding another biotic attack

The Herald, seeing that he was now alone, began flying at impossible speed, always firing biotic attack to everyone in sight and making the task of hitting it an arduous one.

Until it saw Lena.

The creature stopped abruptly, and pointed a finger at the Claymore, only to speak with a voice laced with surprise and outrage

" _You...you cannot exist! The creators are long gone and forgotten, and yet I sense something in you. Is something about them, but warped, corrupted. You are a mistake, and mistakes must be rectified!"_

It was such an insane accuse that for a second almost everyone stopped firing, but not Lena.

Something inside the girl snapped: for years the girl had been called with dozens of horrible names by the people she was supposed to protect. Waste of oxygen, monster, abomination, and she always endured, well knowing the punishment for attacking a human being. Now finally, after becoming Raina's mother and working with Shepard the Claymore managed to reach what people called a modicum of Human dignity, something that the Claymore was ready to defend with fangs and claws if necessary.

And now a disgusting fucked up insect had the gust to call her a mistake?!

"Do not dare, you disgusting freak!" said Lena with voice trembling with rage and coming out of her cover. A biotic bullet grazed her cheek but she simply not cared.

"Lena, go back to cover!" shouted Shepard but she ignored him

"Don't you dare. Who are you to judge me, to define me?!" Her right arm bulged with muscles while yoki freely flowed inside her. The girl abruptly stopped and moved her mutated arm backward. Even the Herald stopped firing, his face a mask of curiosity.

"I am Lena, silver haired warrior and mother of Raina." Her arm dashed upward, like a bowstring now sprung, and her heavy Claymore flied toward the Herald at impossible speed.

"I AM NOT A FUCKING MISTAKE!" shouted Lena to the top of her lungs.

The Herald was caught completely off guard by this action and took the heavy projective square in the chest. For a second it appeared that the Herald's armor was powerful enough to withstand the attack, but it proved to be only an illusion. The sword's momentum shattered the Herald's defenses and skewered the Collector like a chicken on a split. The creature stopped flying, and remained still on the air for a second. Then it started pulverizing.

First the hands, then the legs, finally all its body disappeared like dust to the wind, freeing the heavy sword that dislodged itself from the air and tumbled down of the ground, just near the Claymore.

A deadly silence enveloped the city.

"Lena, are you okay?" Shepard was the first one breaking the silence, worried about her comrade.

"I am not a mistake." He heard her murmuring, more to herself this time. Small tears were falling down from her cheek and her body was still trembling. Shepard put one reassuring hand of her shoulder.

"Lena, it is all alright." he said soothingly

"...My excuses commander." she finally said quietly "I let my emotions take the better of me."

"I will let it slide, for this time." Answered Shepard with a smile "Come on, we still have some lasers to activate, and I still need my best warriors for this." He left her alone, moving toward the objective, but slowly. He gave her time to catch up and to digest his words.

Jack also arrived next to Lena. In her hands rested the Claymore's sword and her expression was one of sadness and understanding.

"Ehi Lady Oscar. Here." Said Jack. Lena gracefully accepted the sword

"Do not listen to that asshole. It was only trying to mess with your head. You are a fucking juggernaut and you should be proud of it. I am sure that after killing another dozen fo those bitches you will feel much better." a genuine offer of sympathy, the last thing she expected from the brash girl.

She clearly meant every word of it and Lena silently thanked her for this.

"Yes...they are right." She muttered Lena in the end "I am a warrior, not a mistake."

She quickly holstered her sword and reached her squad. Now it was not the time to cry.

 **Aaaand done! I am really sorry for this giant delay but university hit me hard, like super hard! At least the first part ended up well so now I have some time left for writing (emphasis on some)**

 **So Lena meet the Collectors and discover that there is something about them similar to the yoma, but at the same time totally different, and that this difference can be sensed by the Reapers.**

 **Why? Little clue: it involves project Leviathan.**

 **I seriously hoped you enjoyed this chapter. Stay tuned for part two**

 **P.S. about the Collectors being quite big: I used the cartoon that show James Vega's first meeting with the Collectors as a template, and the bastards here are big.**

 **P.P.S. I still cannot give when I shall upload the next part but I assure you, I am not dead.**


	12. Chapter 10-2 New Horizon

**New Horizon**

 **part 2**

A wide square placed at the center of the city, perfect in its shape and almost devoid of objects save for the dozens of ochre red sarcophagus already found everywhere inside the city. Here, exactly at the center of the plaza, a metal antenna stood tall together with a pair of computers ready to activate the Gardian laser turrets installed near the city of New Horizon; ready to pour fire against the enemy ship abducting its inhabitants.

And for some reason no Collector was here, guarding or destroying it.

Shepard and his crew looked at the empty place with incredulous eyes; there was no Collector, no Herald, no sensor array, not even some Husks!

The only true threat capable of harming the Collector's ship and the Herald never thought about guarding it!

-This is a trap. It must be!- Thought Shepard while looking at his surroundings with the scope of his sniper rifle, but both his eyes and the thermal system of the gun detected no movements. Even Lena gave the signal of the all clear after some seconds.

They were alone in the plaza.

"Well?!" asked Grunt annoyed "Where are they? I still want to kill enemies!"

"They shall come" grimly answered Shepard "I am sure they shall. Grunt, you and Lena stay behind as rearguard. Jack in the middle and ready to blast any unwanted guests. Cover me while I look at the beacon."

His squad members took positions behind crates and sarcophagus while Shepard dashed toward the beacon. Still no one tried to stop them and this someone managed only to unnerve Shepard even more.

"Squad two. Report" said Shepard in the inter-comm

"Shepard….found…..vivor….problem…..signal….jamm…..also….found..." the voice was that of Garrus, but the response was garbled, unclear. Apparently the Collector had finally discovered the simple tactic of disturbing the enemy communications.

It was a problem but Shepard trusted his teammates to be able to take care of themselves, so he pushed the worry aside

"EDI, talk to me." said Shepard the moment he connected his omni-tool with the beacon's systems

"The software program shows many errors and the need of a complete recalibration. The program shows also that the Gardian lasers are unpowered and need recharging before firing. Estimate time: twenty minutes."

"Then begin now."

"Very well Shepard." numbers and datas of various kind started appearing and disappearing inside the main computer, sign of EDI's work. A soft humming began spreading across the air. The Gardian cannon were powering up.

And unfortunately someone else immediately noticed this.

"Shepard, now we are in trouble." said Lena with a worried voice "Whatever EDI did, it just sent all the remaining enemies into a killing frenzy. They are coming toward us double time!"

"Good!" gloated Grunt

"Defensive positions!" shouted Shepard. They all obeyed and steeled themselves, Shepard in the back with his sniper rifle, Jack in the center and Lena and Grunt in the front.

Some seconds passed, and the only sound the squad heard was the wind howling in the sky. Then, the thundering sound of dozens of feet reached their hears. A deep, menacing sound promising terrible deeds and great destruction. Jack flared instinctively her biotic in response and Lena's grip on the sword tightened.

When they finally arrived, they appeared as a flood of chitin and claws ready to tear them apart. Collectors, both winged or wing-less, charged their positions while firing wildly at them. Their Husks slaves in front of everything with the purpose of soaking bullets, their empty eyes as fearful as their disturbing moaning. Strange bloated masses of flesh with legs dangled near the horde, their appearance horrible but their purpose clear considering that guns of every kind escaped from their bloated bodies.

Behind them the Herald herded them like a shepherd would do with its flock.

Everyone reacted as fast as they could: Jack's bionics flared into life and spheres of pure energy collided with the teeming horde, opening large holes inside their ranks; Grunt laughed like a madman all while he happily blasted any enemy stupid enough to attack him with his shotgun, shredding and dismembering enemies left and right; Lena picked her targets with her new brand weapon, the enemies so many that it was impossible to miss them, and killed whoever managed to get pass Grunt's fury with her sword; Shepard picked the toughest targets with his sniper rifle, killing the Herald's current host and many winged Collectors before they even reached the battle.

The horde reeled against the onslaught, but never stopped. Many creatures died but many more filled their place and the battle quickly turned out as a running fight, where Shepard and his squad were forced to fire and run for untold minutes.

For two times the enemy horde withdrawn under the pressure, and for two times the shambling monsters were forced to come back and fight, lashed by their master.

The battle took a heavy toll also on Shepard and his squad: in the end of the second assault all of them were was bruised and battered, their thermal clips supplies were dwindling and the damned laser system charged with agonizing slowness during all this time. Jack was also running out of steam despite snarling against anyone who tried to warn her about that.

"EDI, how much time left?" asked Shepard

"Laser power is at 67% Shepard." Shepard swore under his breath. This battle was quickly getting out of hand.

"Lena, charge!" said Shepard a second later. Lena nodded and quickly sheathed the blade. A second later the young Claymore charged against the horde and started chopping and maiming anything in her path with her sword. Her yoki flared like a lighthouse and all her vital signs skyrocket inside Shepard's omni-tool.

The results proved to be staggering: Lena hit the enemy formation with the power of a battering ram. The young Claymore dived deep inside the enemy formation and all around her heads and limbs started flying everywhere. Black, onix-like hide replaced her fair skin like an armor and the Husk's claws bounced in vain against the young Claymore, allowing Lena to smash her way through the enemy ranks.

"Ignore the fallen and the crazed one." shouted another clone of the Herald. "Shepard is the main target." almost immediately most of the remaining horde ignored Lena and her whirling sword and moved once again toward Shepard. Many bodies now littered the bloodied battlefield along with many incandescent thermal clips and yet still a dozen collectors along with some of their Husks thralls persisted.

"Disengage Lena!" shouted Shepard while trying to open a path for her. Lena simply laughed without even stopping fighting.

* * *

Chop, smash, kill and maim. Do not stop, not even for a second. Keep killing or they will end you.

Keep whirling your sword or they will drown you with bodies. It was what Lena's overloaded brain kept repeating over and over, like a mantra. A Husk tried to lash at her and received a bone-shattering punch in the face. Another Husk who tried to attack her in the back got bisected. A Collector tried to shoot point blank at her and its bullets ricocheted against her hard skin.

"Disengage Lena!" Shepard's voice barely reached her ears and for a split second the girl stopped fighting, giving the Husks and Collectors that chance they were looking for. The creatures swarmed Lena en masse using the slight distraction against the Claymore. Some died under Lena's blade but this time they managed to pin the girl down in a sea of bodies. Lena screamed and tried to ward the enemies off but the pressure was too much for her to handle. The sound of gunfire and the screeching screams of the Husks boomed inside her ears. Too much pressure, even her yoki-infused skin was about to break.

"Fucking hell." cursed Lena "I am not gonna die like this!"

A second later Lena went beyond 70% yoki energy.

* * *

"What the hell?"

A loud bang forced Shepard and Jack to take cover for a split second. They had just left their previous positions after seeing Lena being literally swallowed by the horde of Husks with the intention of helping her, and now they almost got swept away! The Claymore was once again on top and her sword immediately resumed chopping enemy creatures but this time Lena did not simply killed her enemies. She slaughtered them!

Three Husks died together after one terrifying swipe, another small batch got cleaved in half a second later. Lena had just reached her maximum killing potential and the carnage was so insane that for a second her companions forgot about the battle. They were too busy staring at her, their jaws almost on the ground. Grunt in particular was looking at Lena with a strange expression, one of awe mixed with envy and lust.

Shepard was the first to gain back his senses

"Snap it out troopers!" he spat while firing at the remaining creatures "We still have a battle to win!"

"Not for long at this rate" commented Jack "Lady Oscar is literally thrashing them. I pity that poor bitch that one day will try to fuck her at bed."

"The Herald will surely react, and I am ready to bet that it will not be pretty. Grunt, stop staring and start firing!"

The Krogan finally obeyed, but never let his eyes away from Lena.

They kept fighting but this time the tide had turned in their favor: Lena was practically unstoppable at this point and it appeared that the Herald was running out of meat shield to throw. The plaza was at this point covered with limbs and heads, and there was not a single place not covered with blood splatters. Shepard could also heard the faint echoes of gunfire coming even closer, sign that the second squad was about to arrive.

A sign of relief escaped from the commander's lips. Maybe they were finally done.

And of course right in that moment the Herald revealed its trump card, shattering all his hopes in a second.

A giant, monstrous beetle-like creature arrived on the battlefield descending from the sky like a giant hawk. Its thunderous arrival shake the earth and even the mutated form of Lena looked fearful at it for a second.

The beast was at least three meters tall, and resembling a Collector in its leathery hide and three pairs of glowing eyes. Husks bodies were stuck inside its chest and long, six sharp legs twitched at the flank of its body ready to attack. Its yoki energy was so powerful that it blinded Lena's yellow eyes for a moment.

It was a terrifying sign, even for a veteran like Shepard.

The creature began stalking the battlefield, aiming immediately at Shepard. Grunt and Jack were the first to react with both their weapons and biotics but a strong barriers blocked their first attack. A low whine followed by the creature's eyes becoming bright blue unnerved the entire squad and all wondered what was about to happen.

The beast's answer arrived a second later and a powerful gout of blue energies directed against Shepard erupted from its eyes, destroying anything in its past.

Shepard narrowly avoided the blast by ducking under some cover and fired in response against the creature, all while moving from cover to cover, making sure to not be an easy target. In response the beast stalked the commander step by step, its single-mindlessness fruit of the Herald's orders. Dozens of bullets bounced back against its barrier and, when it collapsed, against its leathery skin but still the creature persisted in its chase, firing wildly at the commander. Thankfully Shepard was now part bionic and not even this endless chase, coupled with hours of fighting and marching, managed to tire him.

This strange chase lasted some minutes until Jack finally managed to break the beast's outer layer with a biotic attack, staggering the creature.

Immediately Lena took the initiative and slashed at the beast, chopping one of its legs clean with one precise strike. The beast reeled and recoiled under the blow but all its frantic counterattacks hit only the air; strange green blood seeped from its wound and for a second Shepard hoped that they had managed to somehow mortally wound the creature.

Lena charged once again under Shepard and Grunt's covering fire, her sword aimed at the creature neck this time. The Claymore burned the last meters in one jump and raised her sword, ready to deliver the killing blow, and right in that moment the beast unleashed something against Lena. A wave of pure energy hit the Claymore with the strength of a tornado; not even Lena's hardened skin was enough to save her. The young Claymore tumbled down on the ground, incapable of keeping her balance. The beast turned toward its would be killer and its eyes began charging up. A Blast of pure biotic power it destroyed everything in a three meter radious and the only thing that saved Lena was Jack's timely intervention. The young biotic quickly snatched the dazzled Claymore with a biotic pull and snatched her away from the jaws of death by the skin of her teeth. Worse still, the blast somehow recharged the beast's shield.

"Tough motherfucker." snarled Jack. Lena looked worriedly at her savior: the girl was sweating profusely and her movements were ragged. She was tired, not like the others looked better; Shepard was finally showing signs of fatigue and Lena knew that the second her body would reject the absurd quantity of yoki inside her body was the second she would collapse on the floor. The only reason she was still alive and kicking was because she was now half-awakened and as such stronger than before.

"Shepard, can you break its barrier a second time?"

"Still have one missile and Grunt's shotgun is ready, why?"

"Give me a chance and I shall hit it in the head with my sword."

"And what if it hit you with the same attack as before?" retorted Grunt

"It is not immediate" countered Lena "And now I know that it can do it. I can do this Shepard."

"Fine. Jack, biotic attack, the strongest you can give me; Grunt, after Jack is done you and I will hit the fucker simultaneously. That will be your window Lena, do not waste it."

"I will not." assured Lena

Unaware of Shepard's new tactic, the beast advanced once again, read to deliver another blow against its enemies. Its movements were now twitchy, the loss of one leg not one to be taken lightly, but it was still deadly in its own right. Its eyes were already powering up for another assault.

"Jack, ready?" asked Shepard. In his hands the missile launcher was resting, ready to fire.

Jack snarled some kind of answer and began charging her powers. A laurel of blue biotic energy enveloped the young girl like a crown; all around her the air shimmered like a living thing and Lena instinctively aimed her sword at Jack's neck, scared by her display of power, but it lasted only a moment.

The beast was now closer, and both Grunt and Shepard scattered in the effort of distracting it. Lena waited for some tensed moments, ready to strike.

"Stop this, motherfucker!" raged Jack finally. Her whole body was now covered in blazing blue flames and a throbbing sphere of pure biotic energy restlessly rested on her hand, waiting to be freed. With a shout of rage Jack launched her biotic attack against the beast. The sphere howled like a living thing and burned the meters separating it from the enemy in the span of seconds.

When both collided, the results were spectacular: the beast's barrier collapsed immediately and Jack's attack shredded skin and bones in equal measure. A small explosion tore part of the beast's chest in an orgy of green ichor. The creature collapsed on the ground, twitching madly while releasing a torrent of foul blood.

Next to her Jack quietly tumbled down from its place, her energies totally spent. Lena quickly checked the girl worried of some potential injuries but there were none. She was simply exhausted.

"Now Grunt!" shouted Shepard. Both him and Grunt fired their weapons in unison. A missile and a hail of bullets reached the creature. Another leg got shredded and one of the beast's eyes exploded like a ballon.

"Lena!"

Lena did not even waste a second. With a quick jump she moved away from her cover and charged the wounded beast. The creature, even in its ragged state, noticed the threat ans fired a blue beam against Lena but the girl quickly dodged the attack.

Lena was now next to the creature, she could smell the stench of its blood. The claymore took her sword with both hands and stabbed the creature in the ruined chest, penetrating the weakened skin and hitting something very important inside the enemy's belly.

Such was the strength behind her assault than the beast flipped from its place and tumbled down on its right flank. The creature twitched and thrashed madly in pain, trying to dislodge away from her body Lena's sword, but the Claymore stubbornly refused to let it go. Green blood seeped from the wound like a flowing river and splashed the girl's face, blinding her for a second, but still Lena refused lot lose the grip on her sword.

Desperate, the beast's remaining eyes sparkled once again with a modicum of power; en eerie blue light shined inside its eye sockets, ready to fire one last beam of energy.

Lena immediately noticed the threat but so did the beast, and all its remaining legs quickly moved against Lena, entangling her movement for some seconds. All the time the creature needed.

A blast of pure biotic power hit the Claymore square in the chest. Lena cried in rage and pain while her armor sizzled and burned near her flesh. All the systems inside her helmet screamed and blared in alarm and clouds of pain clouded her senses.

Shepard noticed Lena predicament immediately but apart from keep firing against the thrashing monster there was little he could do.

"Aaaah" a rancorous cry escaped from Lena's lips. Only some seconds lasted the energy beam but those seconds proved to be more than enough to shatter her armor and the flesh inside it. To make matter worse the beast's remaining five legs sprinted into action. Another got shredded by Grunt's shotgun but the remaining four stabbed Lena in the back. The half melted armor offered little to no protection against such an attack and the legs stabbed deeply inside her back. A new wave of pain coursed against her body and for a second Lena lost control of her yoki energies, allowing them to roam freely inside her brain and body.

Her body quivered and twitched, her muscles receded from her arms and legs, her mind wandered in a drunken haze barely understanding what was happening….and all of a sudden something else entered in her mind.

Lena was unable to understand the vastness of this creature. It felt like looking at a mountain with eyes, unchanging yet at the same time in perpetual movement. Colder than the ice in the north and hooter than the fire of vengeance.

This creature possessed the most insane yoki energy ever sensed by the young Claymore, capable of even eclipsing the power of all the abyssal combined, and its eyes were aimed at her.

No words were heard by the Claymore and yet the girl could feel the accusation inside her mind.

-You should not exist- said the voiceless voice -Your presence is not planned in the great plan. Mistakes must be rectified- There was no hint of malice inside the whispers, just a worker stating the obvious.

And yet these words managed to awaken the dying forces resting inside Lena's body. With a roar worthy of a lion the girl forced herself out of her trance and awakened from her slumber.

-I AM NOT A MISTAKE!-

Blood escaped from her cracked lips but her voice was as clear as the thunder. With a powerful strike Lena ripped her sword from the beast's belly, letting a torrent of blood and ichor escape from the terrible wound, and hit the creature with a vertical slash. The slash ripped away half of the beast's face and destroyed another of its eyes. The beast reeled under the blow and ripped its legs away from Lena's back with such force than the beast managed to take with it most of Lena's ruined armor along with the flesh attached to it. A normal man would have immediately died after suffering such a wound, but Lena's body immediately reacted and patches of raw flesh began to regrow inside her back with supernatural speed. Unfazed by the terrible damage upon her back, Lena charged once again, blood dripping from her wounds, and stabbed the beast in the mouth with such force that the blade pierced through the head and almost split in two the creature's skull with a terrifying sound.

This proved to be finally enough: the beast stopped moving for some seconds, and finally it tumbled down on the ground, dead. Its legs twitched one last time but in the end even them stopped moving, with great relief for Shepard and the rest of the squad.

"It is done." whispered Lena with hoarse voice. Her rage disappeared and with that all her remaining strength. The Claymore felt heavy on her hands and Lena simply dropped it. She was bleeding hard, but she could also feel her body already regenerating. A pair of strong hands grabbed here from her back, Shepard's hands.

"You insane fool, you almost got yourself killed." Cursed Shepard behind her. Lena simply smiled

"Shepard" said another voice behind him. It was Garrus.

"Garrus? You arrived?"

"Only just. The Collectors bottled us for almost an hour. We arrived just to witness the end of the battle. Spirits! That was insane!"

"Tell me about it. Do you have some medi-gel?" The answer was a quick no.

"Then call Mordin, he will know what to do. In the meantime I will administer first aid."

"I do...not need….that" wheezed Lena "My body can….regenerate."

"Shut up, you and your superhuman body! You look like someone who visited a charnel house, as fresh meat."

Lena tried to rebuff but managed only to cough blood.

"Shepard, me and the others can deal with Lena, you need to talk with her."

"What are you talking about, who is this her?" asked Shepard surprised. As an answer Garrus simply pointed his finger at a lonely figure away from his teammates. A tall woman with slightly dark skin and green hard eyes. A woman that Shepard knew very well and that right now was looking at him with accusing eyes.

Ashley Williams, her old colleague, and judging by her scowl she was not happy to see him.

"I...i see." commented Shepard. "I will deal with her. You take care of Lena."

"Will do Shepard."

Shepard quickly raised up and moved toward Ashley. Truth to be told he was a little preoccupied: he knew very well the woman; proud, arrogant, loyal and steadfast. He might have been her commander two years ago but Ashley was truly loyal only to the Alliance. If she believed that he was a betrayer, then a bullet to the head was what was about to receive from her, no matter their past friendship.

-Let's hope she will at least give me the chance to explain. Though Shepard

The distance between Shepard and Ashley was minimal, and Shepard noticed with a sight of relief that Garrus and the others refused to give her a weapon, even a pistol. No chance of being shot then although her look right now could kill a Reaper.

"Ehi Ashley" begun Shepard awkwardly "Glad to see you are alive."

"Odin Shepard." answered Ashley with poison in her voice "First human specter, hero of the Citadel, war hero of the alliance and the youngest soldier inducted in the N7 program. The same Shepard that died two years ago together with most of his crew and the Normandy. They did a great funeral, you know? A lot of talking, proud parents, the entire brass next to your tomb, all your companions…. I was also here, and I cried with them."

"….Thanks?" answered Shepard

"And now I see you here with a Cerberus Commando, doing the will of the Illusive Man and spitting at everything you previously believed." The girl crossed her arms and looked at Shepard with distrust

"Care to explain?"

Shepard groaned. He knew this was going to happen

"Long story short Ashley: I died two years ago. I drifted as a piece of rock in the space until Cerberus found my body and somehow resurrected me. After this process, process that lasted almost two years and transformed me into a bionic man or something according to their top researcher, the Illusive man contacted me and told me that the Collectors were abducting entire human colonies in the Terminus system and both the Alliance and the Council were too busy moving their thumbs. He then offered me a ship and a crew in exchange of helping him deal with this menace. That is why I am here."

It was all true but Ashley still looked at him unconvinced

"I can understand that you do not want to let those people die Shepard, it fit your damn boy scout' behavior, but Cerberus!? Do you really think they care about some thousands of colonists? Have you already forgotten what we have discovered together two years ago?"

"I didn't Ash, and that is why my first reaction was telling the Illusive man to fuck off and leave me alone, but that bastard predicted this and leaked false informations about me working for Cerberus and betraying the Council. Only Anderson's protection and my previous achievements saved me from ending inside a jail. Technically I could still consign myself to the Alliance and let them open an investigation, but things like these require time, a lot of time, and in the meantime the Collectors will kidnap even more people. Cerberus was the only option and besides, I can at least keep an eye of them right now."

"I do not know Shepard. I am still unconvinced. Your ship shows a Cerberus logo, you walk with a Cerberus commando."

"Ash, I destroyed all the Cerberus logos myself, all but the one that need a complete overhaul of the ship, and about my commando?" Shepard waved at his crew

"We have Jacob, an ex Alliance marine, Zaeed, a mercenary, the thief Kasumi, Mordin is a Salarian, Grunt is a Krogan, and you already know Garrus." he pointed at every single member

"And Jack? She hates Cerberus with all her passion, and Lena is a complete mystery."

"I can see that" commented Ashley while looking at the wounded girl "Last time I saw a stunt like that, it was with my little sister while we were watching a cartoon. Still cannot believe that crazy woman is actually alive!"

"The point is, apart from Miranda, no one inside my crew is a Cerberus commando. The Illusive man is just paying the bill in exchange of something. I still do not know what is expecting to gain from all of this but I assure you that I will stop him."

"I do not know, all of this is...hard to believe Shepard." answered Ashley bluntly "Resurrections, Cerberus being reasonable. I do not know what to say."

"Then do not say anything Ash and just give me this: the benefit of the doubt." said Shepard "I know that all of this is insane but do not you remember what happened two years ago? The Thorian, Saren?"

"This is a low blow Shepard." commented Ashley

"Maybe, but remember: they called all of us insane and in the end we were the ones in the right. I ask you now to give me the chance to prove to you, the Alliance and the Council that I am not a betrayer. The Collectors are a threat and they must be stopped, along with whatever the Illusive man hope to gain from this. Only then I will go back to the alliance and submit myself to their authority."

Ashley looked at Shepard with insecure eyes and Shepard could easily see the doubt and mistrust lingering inside Ashley's eyes. In the end the girl made a decision

"Very well Shepard. I still do not trust Cerberus, but I trust you. I will go to the Alliance high command and tell them that the situation is more complicated than we expected. Let's hope that they will not discharge me for this."

"Do not worry: Hackett is harsh but not unreasonable. You will be fine."

"I hope so. Just one thing Shepard: when you decided to go to New Horizon?"

"Just this day, why?" said Shepard. Ashley looked at him with puzzled looks

"This day, then there is something wrong Shepard. The Alliance high command sent me here because one of our spies told us that one of those weeks you would have ended up on Horizon."

"But this does not make sense, I am interested in the Collector so I tend to avoid places like New Horizon. If not for this attack I would have never set foot on this planet."

"Then I suggest you to have a chat with the Illusive Man. Maybe he know more than you think."

"Oh I am sure about that, but I will follow your advice." commented Shepard

"Shepard!" someone from his squad called him. It was Garrus "We have to go: Lena need doc Chackwas's ministrations and we have to decript and analyze entire tera-bytes of data."

"Then let's depart, but first give a copy of all the datas we managed to collect to Ashley."

Ashley looked at him quizzically

"A further proof that Cerberus is only paying the bill, Ash."

"let's hope the Generals will see this that way, and thank you Shepard."

"For what?"

"For saving me a second time, and for giving me the hope that you are not with Cerberus." the girl turned toward Garrus and flashed a sad smile at him

"Garrus, make sure that this damnable wanna be hero does not kill himself once again, please. One funeral was enough."

"Cannot make any promises, but I will try Ash. Good luck out of here."

The transfer lasted only some minutes, and after that both Shepard and all his squad members were inside a shuttle moving toward the Normandy.

* * *

The mood inside the ship was ambivalent: one one hand, the enemy attack had been repelled and their omni-tools were packed to the brim with datas and informations, in the other hand 15 000 people had just been kidnapped by the Collectors and some of the squad members were wounded, Lena chief among them.

The moment they reached the Normandy Miranda and Mordin bolted toward their posts, eager to analyze the informations attained, Jacob and the rest of the squad simply went their separate ways and Lena limped toward doctor Chackwas, the same doctor that almost dropped her mug of coffee when she saw Lena's conditions.

The old doctor simply ordered Lena to follow her toward her own cabin because the infirmary was still in pieces, all while muttering something about reckless soldiers and their stupidity.

Shepard in the meantime moved immediately toward the briefing room, eager to have some answers.

"EDI, activate the pedestal. I need to speak with the Illusive Man immediately."

"Very well Shepard." was EDI's answer. A second later the pedestal was already active and Shepard lost no second in entering inside it. On the other side the Illusive Man was already here, with his unfalling cigarette resting on his lips and his enigmatic eyes brimming with satisfaction

"Shepard, you performed admirably on New Horizon. Miranda just sent me all the datas you managed to acquire; they are still in dire need of reordering and translating but my experts assure me that it will soon be done."

"Glad to know that all of this mess produced something. I have a question to you now: you are feeding the Alliance high command with false informations, am I right?"

The Illusive man took a long smoke from his cigarette before answering

"What make you think that I fed the Alliance with false informations, Shepard?"

"I just finished talking with lieutenant Ashley, my old comrade. She claim that the Alliance sent her to New Horizon because someone told them that I of all people was interested in visiting New Horizon in the near future. Now, who in the entire galaxy, barring the Shadow Broker, possess the mean, knowledge and power to infiltrate inside the Alliance headquarter a mole and use it to fed false informations I wonder? Cerberus."

Shepard crossed his arms waiting for an answer

"Well?"

"I suppose is useless lying to you Shepard. Yes, I fed the Alliance with false informations and convinced them to send lieutenant Williams to New Horizon. Apparently the Collectors are looking for your ex-teammates and I hoped that this would have spurned them into action, and so it happened."

Shepard had to suppress the urge of attacking the illusory image in front of him for a second

"Listen, you are a great schemer, but apparently know nothing about how the Alliance brass work. Losing someone like Williams would have spurned the high command into action. She is a veteran of the Saren war and a proved officer. Losing her would have forced the brass into patrolling the Terminus system with disastrous consequences for the mission. You are not a strategist so please refrain from behaving like one."

"True" conceded the Illusive Man "The action of moving lieutenant William was a dangerous one but it bore its fruits. Still I will take your advice Shepard. You are, after all, a soldier and I promise that I will not use your friends as bait anymore. Talking about something else, I have found other promising agents for your mission; specialist Chambers has already received their files. I suspect that it will take some time for the Collectors before they shall be able to travel once again, so good hunting in the meanwhile Shepard. I will inform you in case things will change."

The conversation was clearly over and Shepard simply left the pedestal. He was still angry at the Illusive Man but right now he had a job to do, so he swallowed his rage and went back to work

-At least the Alliance received the informations that now Cerberus possess.-

Shepard thought

"Specialist Chamber, send me the reports received from the Illusive Man inside my computer. Joker, stand by and ready to depart. We are done here." They both promptly answered.

-And now- Thought Shepard -Let's try to find some time for some decent sleep.-

* * *

 **Normandy's engineering deck. Six hours before**

"I told you that the problem lie in the primary power coupling." said one voice, a male one

"You stupid idiot. The problem is in the outer valves!" said another one, this time a female one.

And so on and so on and so on. They kept going for minutes, maybe even hours and yet no one inside the engineering team complained about this. Some of them even smiled.

Kenneth Donnely and Gabriella Adams, these were their names, and they were know inside the ship as the most brilliant, loud and chaotic duo of the ship, and also future couple according to everyone. Despite the apparent temper between each other they were actually quite good friends and a great addiction for the crew, just unable to agree on anything when it come to their work. It was a marvel that the ship was still able to fly despite all of this.

Today was another normal day for the two engineers: waking up at 6 a.m. ship hour, releasing the previous shift and begin the work, all while pestering each other because of the umpteenth disagreement.

This day however, something else was about to happen.

"The valves inside your brain need some reworking Gabby! These are fine as they are."

"Excuse me." said a timid voice behind them, but no one heard it

"So are the couplings you stupid oaf. See? They are fine!"

"Excuse me." repeated the voice. Still they ignored it

"Then where do you think is the problem, oh great genius? Enlighten me!"

"EXCUSE ME!" this time the voice screamed and finally managed to catch the engineers's attention. Both the engineers turned their heads and looked at whoever was behind them, and what they saw surprised the couple. In front of them there was a child, a scared child with blonde hairs and silver eyes. Lena's child.

"Excuse me please, but it is important." whispered the girl to the engineers, clearly scared by them

"What is the matter little girl, are you lost?" asked Kenneth only to be rebuffed by Gabby

"Don't be a jerk you oaf, she is just a child! Do not mind him princess, he bark a lot but he is actually a good person at heart. Do you need something?"

"Well...yes! Uh...i do know how to say it." stammered Raina.

"Use your words princess. We do not bite I assure you."

"It is just...i overheard some people talking about you, about how good you are at your job and….because mum is always away I thought..."

"Go on" encouraged Ken

"I thought you could teach me your job." finally said Raina.

That was not what Ken and Gabby were expecting, not in the slightest. For some seconds both the engineers remained on their places, speechless. Raina, mistaking their silence for annoyance, tried to get away

"Ah, sorry, I should not have asked. I will go away."

"No no no!" Quickly said Kenneth "We are just surprised by the request."

"Yes, about that, I fear we cannot help you. You see child, we are full time engineers aboard this vessel. We cannot teach you all the basics needed while doing our job and besides, if you really want to learn some stuff then you should enroll in a school, a school packed to the brim with professors ready to teach curios younglings like you. I am sure that your mother will not block you if this is what you want."

"But I already know the basics and much, much more! I just want to see you work and maybe even give you a hand from time to time! Please! I swear I will not disturb you!"

"Child, you might know something or two about our job, but this does not mean that we can let you stay. What if there is an emergency?"

As an answer the girl looked at the panel behind the two engineers, then at the engines, lost in her thoughts. Then she spoke again

"The problem you are looking for is in the main Tantalus core feeding tubes. The element 0 you are using is not refined enough and the ship is suffering as a consequence."

This time the two engineers were not surprised, they were stupefied: a little girl no more than ten years old we had the gall to give them engineering lessons? Ludicrous, but her voice was so serious!

Gabby decided to give the girl a shot and checked the feeding tubes for the Tantalus core

"It is...true" said after controlling and re-controlling times and times again "This eez0 is of lower quality than we thought. It is damaging the system, albeit only slightly."

"Well I will be damned" commented Kenneth "How did you know this?"

"I studied engineering for two years on Omega with a young Quarian, Keen; he taught me everything he know about engines, ship systems, what powers them and how to properly maintain them. I learned a lot from him, and I am sure I can learn a lot from you too! Please, let me stay. I can help you, and if there is an emergency I will run away and not interfere during your job, I promise!"

"What kind of alloy would you use for an emergency induction port?" asked Kenneth all of a sudden

"One made of 62,1% part of Titanium, 37,9% of iridium and possibly worked with the doppler system." promptly answered Raina

"The optimal temperature for a Braxis core engine?"

"0,985 kelvin."

And so on and so on. They tested the girl for minutes with question of practical nature and Raina did not miss a single mark, something that made her feel quite proud. Ken and Gabby in exchange were looking at her as if she was some kind of strange genius.

"She is better than you during university, Gabby."

"Ah bloody ah! Idiot!"

"So am I good? Can I stay?" asked Raina eager to know. Ken and Gabby looked at her with unsure eyes: the child was good, there was no doubt about that, but she was still a child. How would have Shepard reacted if they decided to recruit her into their corp, even as a mere observer? How would have reacted the mother?

"We will talk with Shepard and your mother. If both are fine then we will allow you to come during our night shift. What do you think Gabby?"

"Fine by me."

Yes!" exulted Raina, "Thank you, I promise you will not regret it." She even embraced Gabby's legs as a thank you, something that startled the young woman and made Ken chuckle

"Not a single word with the crew, Kenneth." she half-whispered half threatened. Ken simply chuckled even louder

"Ok, enough embarrassing my poor colleague, child. Go back to your mum now, we have some work to do."

"I will, thanks for everything!" and immediately she disappeared, running toward the stairs while smiling full of joy.

Ken and Gabby tried to resume their normal shift but they discovered that they simply couldn't. They were too busy digesting what had just happened, so much that some members of the crew looked for them with worried eyes because they were not bantering. Some even asked if they were okay, or if they needed some additional rest, so strange was for the rest of the crew to not hear them bantering.

"Sooo" said Gabby after some time, trying to break this new found ice "We keep her as a mascotte or as a trainee?"

"Both, I guess."

 **Aaand done. Its late I know but what can I say, it took an awful lot of time writing this piece.**

 **Still here reading this reader. Hope so.**

 **Next step I think will be Tali recruitment mission, still not sure about it.**

 **See ya.**

 **P.S: the enginnering part, I pulled the numbers and names out at random**


	13. Chapter 11 Haestrom

**Chapter 11**

 **Haestrom**

 **Haestrom's orbit, 19 march 2185, briefing room of the Normandy Sr-2**

Haestrom, a small, barren world littered with remnants of the Quarian civilization and now Geth propriety. Completely cut off from any conventional route, almost no flora and fauna, a breathtaking sky and sculpted stones everywhere.

-And the place for our mission.-

"Are we all present?" asked Shepard to his crew now assembled in the briefing room. They were all already dressed in full battle gear and armed to the teeth, all patiently waiting for the debriefing to begin

"Mordin is not here." noticed Miranda. Shepard simply shrugged.

"That is fine, I allowed him to stay away from this mission. He just warned me through EDI that he is on the verge on a major breakthrough about Lena's yoki and needed some time off."

Shepard's eyes quickly noticed Lena reacting ever so slightly after hearing this piece of information, but the young Claymore decided against commenting and simply remained on her place, waiting for a better moment.

"Very well people; here is our target, Haestrom." an image of a quite unremarkable planet appeared inside the briefing room.

"And, as some maybe already know, this planet is currently occupied by Geth forces."

"Are we going to recruit one of the tin cans now?" asked Zaeed gruffly

"No mr. Massani. We are going to recruit our next operative for this mission, Tali Zorah Vas Neema. She is one of the best combat engineer I have ever met in my life and a former acquaintance of mine. Currently she is busy down on the planet together with a squad of Quarian marines and technicians. Our job is going down, helping her with whatever job is busy and then recruit her in our ranks."

"Shepard." asked Garrus worried "What the hell is Tali doing inside Geth's space?"

"No idea Garrus. My money is on some work for the migrant fleet but we will have to ask her directly. Now, the planet Haestrom suffer of a peculiar condition: Its sun is about to explode and this"

A loud yelp stopped Shepard in his tracks; it was Lena's voice, the last person Shepard expected to hear, let alone yelp in fear. Even the others looked at her quizzically.

"S-sorry Shepard but...the sun is dying? And you want us to go down here?" There was actual fear inside Lena's voice. Jack chuckled at Lena's reaction and said something under a tight lipped smile.

"Is it is Lena, but do not worry: it will take at least some decades before the sun will actually explode and destroy everything in this system." answered Shepard, still a bit surprised "Right now the real problem, barring the Geths, is another."

A sequence of information appeared in front of the squad, courtesy of EDI and its holographic generators

"As you can read, the solar radiations currently investing the planet are overloading the planet's atmosphere. Our personal shields can endure the onslaught for some time but do not expect them to last for long. Simply put: avoid the sun like the plague, stick to the shadow all the time and everything shall be fine."

"Who shall come with you this time Shepard?" asked Jacob "It must be a small group unless you want to awaken the entire Geth force in the planet."

"You are right Jacob." Shepard's eyes moved toward all his operatives, his mind calculating the strength and weaknesses of every single one of them while considering the current battleground

"Lena, have you ever fought against a Geth before?"

"Never, Shepard." promptly answered Lena "I remember T'Von trying to snatch some Geths for his spectacles but all his attempts proved to be fruitless. I have some experience against the usual synthetic enemies like security mechs but nothing else."

"Understood Lena, and you Grunt?"

"The voices says that Geths are fragile machines that will easily fall under a true Krogan's strength." chirped Grunt happily. His hands were trembling for the excitement and everyone noticed that.

"Riiiight." only a fool, or an overexcited Krogan could not hear the sarcasm inside Shepard's voice. The commander quickly reached Jacob

"Make sure his shotgun is equipped with the distruptor ammo mod." he said to Jacob sotto voce

"Sure Shepard."

"We will go down in four: me, Jack, Garrus and Grunt. Miranda, you stay frosty and ready with Jacob, Zaeed and Kasumi. Lena, for this time you are in the bench. You already did a lot for this group so take some free time."

"As you wish Shepard." she promptly answered.

"Good. Team, you have your assignments. To the shuttle!"

 **33 minutes later, ship's armory**

-Sooo boring.-

A very annoyed, and currently seated in the armory, Lena brain silently screamed in frustration while her hands tirelessly moved the grinding stone against the heavy metal of her sword. Having a lot of free time might appear appealing in the beginning, but in truth Lena had no idea how to spend it!

Staying with Raina? It could work for some time, but how could she prevent her from studying mathematic and engineering now that some experienced people proved willingly to teach her. Already her child had immersed herself in data pads filled with numbers and equations, scribbling with her uncertain dozens of commands and formulas inside her owl little notebook with such an admirable focus that it was a crime to interrupt her!

Speaking with someone? Kasumi and Kelly were the only people Lena could actually talk with relative ease, and one was waiting in the shuttle bay while the other tended to coerce her into speaking about her past after a while. Very annoying.

Reading? Lena could read and write unlike most people living in the island, but compared to the people of this universe she was almost illiterate and quite shy about buying books. In their mind reading was still a luxury than only nobles and clergymen deserved after all, and certanly not a Claymore like her.

Using Extranet? Never! That strange realm was too insane and crowded for the poor Claymore and she still refused to use for anything more than the barest necessities.

And so, after aimlessly wandering across the ship and twiddling her thumbs for twenty minutes, Lena decided to fall back to the oldest trick in the Claymore's book: sharpening her sword.

Three horizontal movement on the right, three on the left, check both the edges and clear the metal with a cloth drenched with oil. Lena repeated these movements once, twice, thrice, in the end even she lost the count. As a result the black blade now shined like an obsidian jewel, gleaming in the sparse light of the armory; more could not be done.

-Great.- mused Lena annoyed despite the outstanding work -Now I have to find something else to do.-

Maybe she could clean and lubricate the gun's internal machinery received from Kasumi. She was not exactly an expert at this, but Jacob had showed him a things or two about guns during her free time. Maybe she could

"You know." said a voice behind her "I read that centuries ago some warriors treated their swords like their lovers."

Lena immediately jumped from her seat, her mind already on overdrive and her sword ready to strike. She was inside the Normandy sure, but some habits were impossible to forget.

"But I think even you are going a bit overboard this time." The blade's edge stopped some centimeters from Kelly's motionless face. She was used to Lena's sudden attack at this point and knew that the Claymore possessed a perfect self control when it come to her blade.

Lena quickly unsheathed her sword back without saying a word.

"You do not how to spend your time, am I right?" Kelly grabbed the nearest chair and sat near Lena.

"Kelly, no offense, but I do not want to talk about my past or about my mental status right now." answered Lena flatly.

"We already do this more than enough during our planned meetings."

It was so direct that could be considered almost insulting, but Kelly knew already that Lena was simply a girl incapable of diplomacy, so she insisted.

"And I am not here for that. I just want to chat with you for some time."

Non that was an answer that hit Lena unexpectedly. It even took some seconds for the Claymore to answer.

"Chat?" she asked

"Yes chat, like two friends would do!"

"But chatting about what?"

"Everything. As an example, I discovered a juicy piece of gossip recently: it appear that Miranda can actually show some feelings, especially if her sister is involved."

Lena arched both her eyebrows at this notice

"The ice queen has a sister, and she love her?" This reaction managed to tear a playful smile from Kelly's face.

"See, we have something to talk about. Tell you what: I am free now, you are definitively free. We both go to Gardner, snatch some hot chocolate and discuss about every single silly little things we could imagine. No traps, no boring talks. Just you and me having a good time."

It was a magnificent offer, one that Lena simply could not refuse. After all it was this or dying of boredom inside her own cabin at this point.

"I suppose I could do it." conceded Lena in the end "After all Shepard told me to have some rest."

"That is the spirit Lena" both the girls quickly left the armory and moved toward the mess hall. One with a huge grin splattered on her face, the other still unconvinced.

"I just hope Shepard does not end up in some mess while I am not with him." commented Lena quietly just before taking the elevator

 **Haestrom's planet. Same moment, ancient Quarian settlement**

"Grunt!" shouted a very pissed off Shepard toward the huge Krogan, while moving toward the massive creature; it was almost comical seeing the relatively small human coming to blows against such a massive Krogan, but nothing in Shepard's face suggested any form of amusement.

The commander had just survived after a particular heavy engagement against a Geth patrol together with his squad, but only barely and not new scars to show. Garrus showed now dozens of small arms marks on his blue cobalt armor, Jacob somehow managed to stop a point blank shotgun shot with his armor and barrier and somehow survive, although he was currently swimming in both medi-gel and pain suppressors. Shepard's armor was black with soot, and all his systems showed heavy solar radiation poisoning; he was alive only thanks of his gene-enhanced body.

And all of this happened because of that stupid Krogan!

In the beginning the mission went out just fine: they made planetfall and moved toward the objective. They moved swiftly and silently, and they found proofs of Tali's works alongside the bodies of some of her unfortunate companions. They managed to recover some resources and make radio contact with a quarian Marine called Kal'Reegar and to gain some intel from him. Hell, Shepard even managed to contact Tali using a still functioning Quarian terminal, assuring her that help was on her way.

Then, when they used some demo charges to open an obstructed part, a full patrol of Geth including Geths soldiers and drones, some Geth destroyers and one Geth prime decided to investigate, and things went south at supersonic speed.

First Grunt charged at the incoming Geth not caring in the slightest about his teammates, leaving both Shepard and Garrus dangerously exposed, then the sun decided to take a closer look at the squad, forcing everyone to scramble for cover in the middle of a battle and, last but not least, Grunt decided to attack the Geth prime in melee of all things, and almost got killed in the process.

In the end they somehow managed to destroy all the Geths and lived to tell the tales but, using Garrus's words

"That was too close!"

"You have ten seconds to explain to me what the hell happened inside that scaly head of yours, and why should I not break your fucking ass for insubordination."

The bloodlust of the battle still raged inside Grunt's eyes; his shotgun pointed automatically at Shepard's chest but did not fired. There was still some self-control left in the young Krogan's head.

"Shepard" it was a low, guttural growl "Why are you chastising me? I destroyed your enemies, I won against the machines! I proved my strength."

"I couldn't care less about your stupid personal war against the universe, but your action put the safety of the whole squad at risk! We were supposed to ambush them, your charge was neither expected nor appreciated."

"Ambush." rumbled Grunt in disgust "Only a coward ambush the enemy. Are you a coward Shepard?"

With lightning movement Shepard grabbed his shotgun and rammed its end right into Grunt's face, the barrel right in the middle of Grunt's brain.

"Don't" warned Shepard with steel in his voice. Grunt immediately reacted and aimed his own shotgun at Shepard's stomach, but the commander remained unfazed "Don't you dare questioning my authority Grunt. You might come from a long line of Krogan warlord, but I have killed the Thorian, Benenzia Saren and innumerable other horrors lurking among the stars. All of them tried their damnedest to kill me, all of them failed." Shepard's green eyes looked at Grunt's. "You are nothing compared to them. Accept my command, or die here like a beast."

For some extremely tense seconds none moved. Both Shepard and Grunt continued their silent battle while Garrus and Jacob aimed their weapons at the Krogan's head. The air literally cracked with electricity coming from the scarred commander and the brash Krogan.

In the end, it was Grunt the one who surrendered. The young Krogan's shoulders slumped and his eyes averted Shepard's gaze while his massive arms lowered the shotgun.

"Good." said Shepard. Behind him both Garrus and Jacob sighted in relief and lowered their weapon

"Now, would you kindly explain me what the fuck is going on inside that brain of yours?"

"What is there to explain? I am a Krogan, the bloodlust is part of us." That explanation was not enough for Shepard

"Bullshit. I fought with and against Krogans before. It is true that they fight like berserkers, but is also true that their rage is tempered with reason, even when they are young and untested. They do not blindly charge against an entire patrol on a whim."

Grunt annoyed growl showed to Shepard that this was the right path, he only needed to push a little more.

"Something is nagging at you." pressured Shepard "Something inside you, something that you cannot control anymore. Some members of the crew told me that recently you appear restless inside my ship, more than the usual."

"I feel the need to prove myself. Something call me to..." conceded Grunt, although with reluctance.

"To?" urged Shepard

"Tuchanka." said Grunt in the end "The voice screams at me. I must go to Tuchanka. Here everything will be clear."

Reasonable, thought Shepard. Tuchanka is the home planet of the Krogans and the only place where someone could find some insight about Krogans and their culture (aside from bashing with their heads whoever they hate). Maybe there is something inside that dustball that is actually necessary for Grunt's wellbeing.

"Then we shall go to Tuchanka, but until then you will obey every single command, and you shall not take personal initiatives. Am I clear?"

Grunt's face was still unconvinced. His teeth scraped at each other in annoyance.

"Am. I. Clear?!" Shepard repeated, this time with harsher tone

"Yes Shepard. I shall obey."

"Shepard." intervened Garrus finally "If you are done playing daddy, I think you should see this."

The source of Garrus's distress was his omni-tool, currently flashing with streams of datas inside it like a raging river. A holographic image of a giant colossus of Geth origin idly looked at Shepard with his only blue, baleful eye.

A Geth Colossus.

"God damnit." cursed Shepard. Garrus's mandibles moved twitched in sympathy

"Indeed. Do you think is finally time to call for reinforcements? I know that it is risky, but we cannot defeat a Colossus, along with its escort, by ourselves."

In response Shepard tapped his comm-bead and reached for an encrypted channel

"Yes, it is." answered Shepard "Let's hope the Geth hardware will not immediately awake."

"Miranda. This is Shepard..."

 **Normandy Sr-2, mess hall, same moment**

 **"** Your friend sound like an absolute chaos lover. I would not last a second in a locked room with her."

A crystalline laughter echoed Lena's words

"You are right. But Samantha is such a great friend! And an incredible student to booth. I have many fond memories of her. Do you have some friend you miss right now Lena? People you wish were here with you on the ship?"

This small chat between friends proved to be far more entertaining and relaxing that Lena could ever imagine. True to her word, Kelly never tried to pry inside her past life and proved to be an excellent entertainer, opting to talk either about the latest gossips on the ship or about her previous life at the university and all the friends she managed to find. Next to them two cups of steamings chocolate, now almost empty, lazily wafted a delicious scent all over the air.

All in all, one of the best afternoon Lena had ever experienced.

"I would not say friends per se buuut….there are some warriors I miss" Anastasia in particular, but that was another pair of hands althogether "Good people, reliable and powerful. Some of them are even entertaining from time to time. We Claymores tend to be solitary people."

"But aren't there some places where you can gather, or some facilities where to have a good time? Life on your home place must be dreadfully boring!"

"Perhaps." conceded Lena "But we also tend to not be used to all your luxuries: reading all the books we desire gratis, night clubs, bars, parks, so many things! Sometimes I wonder if you understand just how lucky you all are."

A comprehensive smile crept inside Kelly's face; in one gulp she finished her hot chocolate and asked for a refill.

"Sometime we forget about them yes, we take them from granted. Still, you are here now, and not inside wherever your boring planet is, so new objective: find something for you to enjoy. Maybe a pet? Shepard has an aquarium filled with exotic fishes inside his cabin. Maybe you prefer a dog."

The idea of having a small, fluffy creature roaming inside her quarter did not exactly sit well for Lena

"Let's avoid the idea of having pets please. I would probably end up starving them to death." still Kelly refused to surrender and pressed on.

"What about books? Or comics? There are some that are quite engaging and easy to read at the same time."

Kelly was stubborn, Lena had to give her that

"Kelly, I appreciate seeing someone worried about my wellbeing, but"

her voice was interrupted by a loud whining resonating inside Kelly's omni-tool. A surprise for the girl, that quickly opened it up and checked the nature of the sound.

Inside they found a message from EDI

"Shepard requested the contribution on the second attack group. All personnel with a gold level clearance are ordered to go back on their post."

"Well" commented Kelly with a shrug "It appears that my free shift is already over. Sorry Lena."

"Don't be" answered Lena, and she was truthful in her words "When an emergency arise we cannot refuse."

"Always the soldier you, Lena." Kelly quickly went up and moved toward the elevator "I am coming to your place this night with a data pad linked with the universal library. We will find something that you shall like, I swear it!" shouted Kelly just before disappearing inside the elevator; some heads turned toward her while other in the mess hall looked at Lena, their expression a quizzical one. Lena smiled at these words. Kelly, dear Kelly! You are too sweet for this universe.

Now all alone, for some time Lena simply decided to stay in the mess hall, finishing her hot chocolate and using a smidgen of her yoki to enhance her hearing capabilities. Turned out that most of the witnesses of her little chat with Kelly were talking about her. Some talked about Kelly's last words before going to the bridge, others speculate about Lena, some even thought that she and Kelly were actually dating!

-Idiots! Kelly is a sweet and caring girl, and I actually don't mind the idea of a female lover, but I am a Claymore and she is a human. Dating is out of the question!-

Mused Lena to herself while gulping her last bit of the drink. After some minutes of silent listening Lena finally had enough and decided to move toward the shuttle bay. Better wait for Shepard at this point.

 **Haestrom planet, Tali's refuge point, 17 minutes later**

Groaning in pain, careful of every movement, Odin Shepard looked moved away from his cover, looking at what was just some minutes ago a quite functional, albeit a bit ruined, entrance room before the observatory where Tali had been forced to hide. A catwalk on the right, some stone roads, loads of crates of various kinds everywhere, broken pillars made of stone, the usual things you find in an occupied ruin. Now, with wreckages of dozens of Geths, a fallen Colossus that almost destroyed what was left of the roof with a stray shot and explosion marks everywhere, it looked more like a giant crater.

-Note to self, never fight a Geth Colossus without the support of a tank, even with your full roster.- though Shepard deadly serious.

-And thank God for Kal'Reegar covering us with his missile launcher, otherwise we would all be dead right now.-

"Are you all alive?" asked Shepard in the inter-comm

"Still alive….somehow." answered Garrus first from his sniper's perch on the right of the room

"It take more than this to kill a true Krogan." was Grunt's answer. He was knee deep covered in Geth's mechanical parts and his armor was a mess, but apart for that he was fine

"Still alive!" chirped Kasumi behind a load of crates. One after another all his squad members answered back to him and a satisfied smirk rippled Shepard's face. All squad members were alive and well, good.

"Miranda, go upstair with our medi-gel supply. There is a Quarian marine that need some medical help. Jacob and the other, check the perimeter and make sure nothing else interrupt us. I will be done in a minute and Grunt, no trophy hunting."

The huge Krogan whined after hearing this, but obeyed instantly and dropped a half-broken Geth destroyer head just collected from the ground.

After some seconds of walking (and avoiding all the wreckages in the way) Shepard finally managed to reach the observatory's door, a massive grayish door made of old metal and stone littered with small dents and burnt marks. There was a small console next to the door but a stray shot had destroyed it, rendering it unusable.

-Oh well, let's try the old fashionable way.- though Shepard

The commander closed his right hand and knocked

"Tali, this is Shepard. We have destroyed all the Geths in the room but we need to go away before the entire Geth hardware in the system awake."

A muffled voice from inside reached Shepard's hear. Tali's voice

"Opening it Shepard."

With a deep, rumbling sound, the old door slowly opened from the inside and allowed Shepard to take a look at Tali's refuge. Kal'Reegar told him that it was some kind of observatory, but it looked more like a storage room of sort: built inside the rock, it was occupied with a couple of strange, white data banks quietly humming with energy. The wreckages of a pair of Geths laid strewn on the floor, proof of Tali's expertise. Tali itself was at the end of the room, working on a laptop.

"Tali." Shepard greeted her with a smile "Good to see you once again."

The girl stopped working on the laptop and turned toward Shepard. To the commander's joy she was fine and without a scratch.

"Shepard, not that I am unhappy of seeing you, but what are you doing here?"

"Oh, what can I say" joked Shepard "I love saving pretty Quarian damsels in distress." Shepard could not be sure because of the mask but it looked like Tali blushed at this.

"Keelah Shepard. Don't say that!" Shepard almost laughed at this. Ah Tali, sweet and innocent Tali. Never change please.

"Jokes aside, do you remember the offer I gave you some times ago at Freedom's Progress?" asked Shepard, now deadly serious

"You asked me to join your crew after allowing me to let Veetor going back in the migrant fleet." answered Tali "He is doing fine by the way; staying close to his family did wonders to his mental health. I told you in response that first I had a mission to do for the migrant fleet."

"And this was the migrant fleet's mission I suppose." interrupted Shepard. Tali nodded and let a bitter chuckle escape from her mask

"Yes, the mission was to infiltrate the planet Haestrom, discover why the sun suddenly collapsed on itself and if the Geths are involved."

"And, are the Geths involved?" asked Shepard. Tali's face lowered at this question

"I do not know Shepard. This mission had been a disaster since the beginning: first the Geths sensors immediately intercept our squad despite our countermeasures and force us to scatter, then we lose most of our scanning equipment and the Geths picked at us one by one. We lost so many today." there was sorrow in her voice, the same sorrow that Shepard knew very well as a commander.

"You think all of this was not worthy." stated Shepard with neutral voice

"It is not my call to say this. At this point I only hope the datas are worth of something, Shepard." it was barely a whisper this time.

"The admiralty board believed the informations here are worth the lives of all our lives. I have to believe that they know what they are doing, but right now I only know that I lost a lot of good friend."

"Well still glad to be arrived in time. Can you join me now?" asked Shepard and this time he could not hide his hope for a yes in his voice.

Tali looked first at the laptop behind her, the streams of datas still flowing, then at the destroyed Geths inside the room. Finally she spoke

"When we met on Freedom's Progress I told you that first I had to complete a mission for the admiralty board." Tali's hands curled into a fist all of a sudden "I did it. The mission is over and i lost everyone in the process for something that I do not even know will be worth a damn. I will come with you, and if the admiralty have a problem with it they can rot in hell!"

"Don't be too hard with the admiralty ma'am." said a voice behind them "I am sure they actually know what they are doing." It was Kal'Reegar's voice. The young and brash marine commander was limping and using Miranda as a crutch so he could move inside the room, but he was alive.

"Reegar!" shouted Tali in joy "You survived!"

"Yep." Kal'Reegar's voice was strained but still firm "Your old commander is as good as you said. The Geth colossus never stood a chance."

"Do you need some help Reegar?" asked Shepard

"No commander. Our ship is still in one place. As long as I bail out before the Geths send more reinforcements I shall be fine."

"And the others?" asked Tali with some hope "Only you survived?"

Reegar simply sighted

"I am sorry ma'am. Only me, but please do not feel guilty for this: we all knew the risk and you did all you could do." for some seconds the marine tilted his head slightly, as if lost in thought

"I heard you before. You won't come back." he muttered. It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes Reegar." answered Tali, her voice clear "I am going back with Shepard."

Strangely enough Kal'Reegar did not look and sound surprised in the slightest.

"Then I will inform the admiralty of your decision. Shepard" now Kal'Reegar turned and faced the commander directly "She is all yours now Shepard. Keep her safe."

"You can bet your ass I shall keep her safe, marine." said Shepard with conviction

"Thank you Reegar, for everything." said Tali softly. Reegar simply shrugged and went out, Miranda always helping him

"Well" said Shepard "you just discovered the burden of leadership Tali. I will not try to say useless words like -it was not your fault-, instead I will cheer you up. Remember the old Normandy? The one you loved for her cutting edge technology? The new one is even more insane, and I want you as my chief engineer."

Tali actually squeaked after hearing this

"Se-seriously? Me, chief engineer?"

"Yep. You worked inside the old Normandy and you understand machines better than anyone else. Besides I want someone I can trust at the command of my little baby, and I cannot think of a better candidate than you."

"I...serving as a chief engineer of a ship like the Normandy. Is like a dream come true! Thanks Shepard! I swear I will not disappoint you."

"I sure you will not." smiled Shepard "Now let's go back home. Just one thing: do you remember the old crew with Garrus, Wrex, Liara and all the others? Do you remember how rambunctious, rowdy and assorted it was?"

"Yes I do Shepard, Why?"

Shepard flashed at her his biggest smile

"Wait until you meet the whole current crew now."

 **Sooo, hi people. Sorry for the delay and this, partially filler only chapter, small writer's block.**

 **Stay tuned for the next one and always tell me if this story is a disaster or still enjoyable.**


	14. Chapter 12 aftermath and decisions

**Chapter 12**

 **Aftermath and decisions**

 **Sooo...this chapter will be a bit shorter than usual. Just the aftermath of the mission, some discussions between some members of the crew and stuff like that.**

 **A bit annoying for some maybe, but necessary for the good prosecution of the story.**

 **Anyway, let's us begin.**

 **Edit: i read the comment about me writing IA instead of AI. My mistake. In my language (Italian) artificial intelligence is translated as "intelligenza artificiale" or IA and i am so used to this name that most of the time my brain does not even registrate this mistake. I will try to correct all of them.**

 **Normandy's bridge. 10 minutes after the Haestrom's mission.**

"Shepard. Why is there a sword inside the armory? I though your people stopped using them centuries ago!"

It was Tali's voice and, for the first time in Shepard had no idea how much, the commander felt a touch of genuine, utter surprise lacing the young engineer's words.

A surprise that Shepard understood perfectly. A sword? Inside a modern armory? Utterly ridiculous, until you see the person using it in action.

-I wonder what would admiral Mikhailovich says this time, in case of an inspection.- mused Shepard

-Last time he almost had a stroke because I let Wrex wander freely inside the ship. If only he could be here right now!-

Shepard and his squad had reached the Normandy after a short and, thankfully, lackluster travel. For some reasons the Geths refused to pursue them after the battle, a small blessing that Shepard immediately accepted, and in less than five minutes the Normandy escaped from the Haestrom's system, moving toward more secure space. All of Shepard's squad members simply moved back toward their posts once the mission was over and only Jacob sticked around the bridge for some time, trying to make Tali feels at least a bit at home.

It didn't work out, especially when Tali told Jacob flat on his face that he was here only because of Shepard, all while accusing Jacob of not knowing about Cerberus's attacks against the migrant's fleet. Thankfully Shepard was ready to defuse this explosive situation and quickly offered Tali to have a long, accurate tour along the ship.

From the main deck to the hangar, from the smallest quarters to the most important offices, Shepard showed to Tali everything but the engineering room (with the intention to leave that place as the icing on the cake) and in doing so, Tali discovered that Shepard was right: compared to this, the Normandy's old crew appeared normal, almost mundane in comparison: a tattooed biotic with one hell of a temper, a thief, a mercenary, Cerberus operative, a Salarian doctor, a teenager Krogan and much, much more! But nothing surprised Tali more, during this little tour, than seeing a giant, double edged black sword quietly resting inside the armory!

"That is Lena's sword, more known in the galaxy as the Ripper. Do Quarians know something about her?" answered Shepard with half a smile

"You have the Ripper inside your ship? As an operative!?" Tali almost screamed inside her helmet. A reaction that left Shepard mildly surprised. Apparently Lena's fame was far more widespread that he had previously imaginated.

"So, you know about her?" commented Shepard. Tali scoffed at this

"Know about her? Shepard, that woman destroyed every theory about biological and genetic engineering ever created in the galaxy in less than two years! Many Quarian scientists inside the Migrant's fleet are ready to sell their soul in exchange of a piece of her flesh, claiming that inside her hyper-regenerative abilities lies the cure for our people. The admiralty even considered the option of blitskrieging Omega for some time."

Now that was one hell of a piece of information! And one that Shepard did not liked in the absolute slightest.

"You and your people should forget about this: apart from the danger of trying to capture and detain a force of nature like Lena, her mutations are not as stable and beneficial as you might think. Some days ago Lena almost died during a battle, and both doctor Chackwas and Mordin tried to save her by improving her already insane healing abilities."

"And they succeeded?" asked Tali curious

"In a way yes, but..." answered Shepard "You know what, I will simply show you." With some quick commands Shepard activate his omni-tool and opened a specific file, one simply called -disaster averted.-

It was a registration of Lena's rampage inside the infirmary, a registration of the day the Claymore almost killed doctor Chackwas and mutated in some kind of hellish beast. Tali looked at the registration with rapt eyes; she shuddered at Lena's distorted, mutated voice calling for flesh and blood. Her mind struggled to accept that the strange, spiked creature ready to tear the doctor apart with her fangs could truly be a human being. She almost shouted when she saw that...thing ripping Chackwas's shirt and moving its fangs toward her stomach, her mouth salivating like a rabid Varren. In the end no one died, for the joy of Tali: the Rip- no, Lena, she somehow managed to block the beast inside her, forcing it to go back inside whatever hellhole had generated her, just a second before Shepard managed to enter inside the infirmary, weapons already hot.

Still, the girl's sight of relief could be easily heard inside the entire ship.

"Keelah! That was terrifying! And you say that all of this happened because the doctor tampered a bit with her genetic matrix?"

"Pretty much." Confirmed Shepard "Still, Lena proved to me that she is more than capable to keep in check her inner beast, as long as no one poke it with a needle. Combine this with her amazing kill count and acceptable behavior, and I assure you that you cannot hope for a better soldier to watch your back. Besides, a girl with such a cute and lovable daughter cannot be that bad."

"Wait" said Tali stopping Shepard "The Ripper has a daughter?"

"Yep" smiled Shepard "And now that I think of it, I believe you should meet them, both of them. Lena because she will fight with you during our mission and Raina well….it is better if they explain this to you."

If masks could show emotions, Tali's visor would have been a giant question mark by now

"What do you mean with the last part, Shepard?" asked Tali intrigued. Shepard simply smiled

"Oh, you shall see."

"So, this is the engineering room." stated Shepard. The tour was finally over and, as expected by the commander, Shepard finally had the pleasure to see her dear friend Tali transforming from a serious combat engineer to an overly excited teenager in less than a second.

The giant, trumping energy core of the ship purred like a newborn cat in the Quarian's ears, calling for her touch and expertise, and Tali almost jumped on the nearest consoles after hearing its call.

"So, what do you think about it?" asked Shepard smiling. Tali refused to answer for some time. Her hands explored every nook and cranny of the ship's plating, feeling the energy of the ship, its lifeblood, coursing through pipes and circuits. Her mask's sensor went into overload, the person inside it capturing the ship's internal melody.

"It is" stuttered Tali in awe "Amazing! Even stronger than the old Normandy; so advanced and somehow...feral. This ship has so much potential! It just need the proper guidance."

"Glad that you like it. Now, the crew inside the engineering team is composed by thirteen members, but the most important ones are about to arrive, together with their little pet project. They shall be your main helpers." stated Shepard and, as if recalled, both Kenneth and Gabby appeared inside the engineering bay, with Raina and Lena tailing moving behind them.

"Tali" Introduced Shepard "Let me introduce you our best engineers, Gabriella Daniels and Kenneth Donnelly." both saluted her in a military way "And the agent Lena, more known as the Ripper, alongside her daughter Raina." Lena's face remained stone cold, barely greeting Tali's arrival with a small gesture of her head. Raina, on the other hand, looked at Tali with an excited face.

"Well...easy soldiers" said Tali to the two engineers, surprised by their military salute "No need for that."

"If you says so" answered Kenneth. The boy quickly lost his military composure and greeted Tali with a handshake

"Welcome on board, chief. If only half of what Shepard said about you is true then it will be a pleasure working with you!"

"Everything I said about her is true." commented Shepard abruptly, touched by the comment. Kenneth simply waved both his hands in mock defeat.

Tali looked first at both Kenneth and Gabriella, then at Lena and Raina. The young Quarian did not fully trusted the two Cerberus engineers, that was quite obvious, but their mirth looked sincere. Were they worthy of her trust, were these people not like your average Cerberus goon? Tali decided to give them the benefit of the doubt, for now.

"Pleasure to know you." said finally Tali. She offered them her hand and greeted them.

"Miss Lena." then said Tali

"Only Lena please" murmured Lena quietly

"Lena" continued Tali "What brings you here? No offense but you do not look like an engineer and I hope Shepard did not dragged you away from your cabin only to greet me."

"No, Shepard did nothing of that sort." said Lena with neutral voice "But, you see, Shepard declaimed your expertise for days, and when yesterday someone" the Claymore emphasized this word while looking at Raina "discovered that you were the next person to recruit, said someone begged me to ask the commander if you are willing to become a teacher for her."

This was the last thing Tali could expect to hear from the tall warrior. Behind her the small human child moved forward with unsure steps, waiting.

"W-well...i" finally stuttered Tali after some seconds, the light of her mask beeping over and over. "Me? A teacher?"

"It would not be that bad, considering that the lass is quite good." intervened Kenneth all of a sudden "I mean, she still has a lot to learn, but yesterday me and Gabby tested her knowledge and she proved to be quite adept at all this! Equations, calculus. You ask it, she know it, or will soon learn it."

"And she is so quick and nimble with her movements." continued Gabby "Biggest problem for new bloods is knowing how to place the right pieces together, but she already know how to move them, probably thanks to that Quarian boy he frequented on Omega."

"Quarian boy?" asked Tali

"Master Keen" this time it was Raina's little voice that intervened "He told me so much and I learned everything. I-i am good, master Tali, I swear! I just want to learn, I can help you."

"Do not stutter dearie, Tali will not eat you!" cooed Gabby softly. The young engineer then turned toward Lena "You know, you can really be proud about Raina: she is an amazing student, and so respectful to booth! She is really more mature than any girl of her age I have ever met."

A compliment that Lena accepted with a bitter smile

-Tend to happen when your teacher use the whip during lessons.-

commented to herself Lena. Many people of the island always wondered why all Claymores proved to be more cultured by merchants, gentry and even some nobles, but the answer in truth was quite simple: you learn at the first try, or you suffer. The Organization's masters wanted their weapons capable to read, write, count and behave so that they could impersonate any necessary role in case of a covert operation and, when stubbornness and ignorance bring you a daily doses of lashes, even the stupidest student learn to focus and quickly master every skill. Raina now simply used that focus for her advantage.

"Anyway, Tali, what are your thoughs?" asked Lena bringing back herself to reality

"Uhh?" asked Tali "Oh sorry, I was lost in thought. Your proposal reminded me of my apprenticeship."

"Apprenticeship?" asked Shepard

"Yes. You see Shepard, we Quarians do not possess any universities." explained Tali "Our nomad's way of life make this impossible to have a ship solely dedicated to such a task and so, when it comes to learning something really long and difficult, we have only two choices: we find a non-Quarian patron that let us enter inside a university or someone else from our people take the youngling as an apprentice. In the latter case the two families, both of the youngling and the possible master, meet and draft a contract depicting the time said youngling will spend with his/her new teacher, possible expenses and so on and so on. That way our elders can directly teach our children and all their knowledge will not disappear. It usually happen one or two years before the pilgrimage."

Tali's voice lowered a little bit for a second, as if lost in thought

"I still remember my apprenticeship: my father wanted the best for her little girl and literally stalked the combat-engineer of a Marine squadron for a month, until he finally accepted me as an apprentice. His parents were not amused by all of this but, in the end, his teachings are what allowed me to survive during my pilgrimage. That and meeting you, Shepard."

"An interesting story." commented Lena "And you desire to draft a contract with me for my daughter? In that case I think we could reach an agreement."

The young Quarian quickly turned her head toward Lena, surprised "What?! No! Your daughter is too little for that kind of things!" Raina's face assumed a truly wretched expression after hearing this "But I am willing to test her from time to time, and to let her stay here with us as long as she does not hinder our work in any way, or obey our orders."

All the gloom on Raina's face suddenly disappeared, replaced with joy. The child launched herself at Tali's legs, almost making her trip, and grabbed them firmly while small tears left her silver eyes

"YES! O thanks teacher Tali! I promise that I shall be the best student." half shouted the child. Tali almost tripped, not having the faintest idea about how to deal with such a reaction. Shepard simply laughed at this.

Thankfully Lena quickly intervened and gently ripped her daughter away from Tali

"Ok Raina, enough harassing your new teacher." she chastised "Remember Galatea's lessons: always be polite and respectful with your elders, as long as they are polite with you in return."

The scolding hit the child like a hammer. Raina quickly left Tali's legs while mumbling some apologies and immediately assumed a more composed position: legs still and body slightly inclined, she bowed toward Tali and simply said

"Thanks for accepting me, Master Tali. I promise that I shall be good."

This time neither Shepard nor Kenneth could suppress a small laughter. Tali on the other hand simply sat on her place, stunned and speechless.

"Ehm...yes. I am sure of it. Welcome aboard." managed to stutter Tali in the end.

"Wonderful!" smiled Shepard "Then let me present you the last member of this strange crew. EDI?"

EDI's usual blue ball appeared inside on of the engineering bay's terminal in less than a flash

"Welcome aboard, chief engineer Tali Zorah Vas Neema. My name is EDI and I am the ship's AI." quipped the artificial voice. Tali literally jumped from her place in response, a reaction expected by everyone but Lena and Raina.

"An AI?!" screamed the girl, this time in pure rage "Shepard, how could you even consider the idea of letting this thing worming its way inside your ship, let alone allow it!"

"Now now, Tali" answered Shepard trying to soothe her "Let's not be hasty." Tali refused to have any of it.

"Hasty? HASTY!?" roared Tali in return "Have you already forgotten the cruelty and malice that reside inside these things!?" the shy, timid girl disappeared under a barrage of truly astonishing fury that left everyone but Shepard speechless "The Geths with Saren, the AI on the Citadel or the insane computer that nearly killed us all on the Moon, Shepard!? Artificial creature cannot be trusted! They are cruel, misshapen and always dangerous. You should simply dispose of that thing before it decide to kill us all."

"Does that mean" answered a small, childish voice "That I am also a monster to dispose off?" It was Raina's voice. The child was now looking directly at Tali's face mask. There was no rage, or anger, inside the child's eye. Only fear.

"Me and mom are like strange EDI." continued Raina. Lena raised an eyebrow at this but refused to comment "We are artificial. Some bad people captured us and placed something inside our bodies. Back at home people always gave us mean names because of this. Monsters, soulless, just like you did now with strange EDI; does this mean that you see both me and mom as monsters, master Tali?"

Tali opened her mouth, then closed it and opened it again. How the hell was she supposed to say against this?! And what was the story behind both Lena and Raina being artificial? They looked quite human in the Quarian's eyes. She tried to look at Shepard for some help but the commander merely smirked and stayed quiet.

-Nope. I am having too much fun right now.- though Shepard while looking at her friend

"Well...the fact is...see" began Tali, but she was unsure about how to respond and remained silent for some long seconds. In the end another creature spoke in her place.

"If I may intervene" EDI's ballon popped back once again "I merely wish to inform chief engineer Tali Zorah that I am unable to harm the crew of the ship in any way. The only way I could actually harm the member of the crew is by poisoning the recycled oxygen and this goes against any philosophical barrier erected by my creators, and I have also been equipped with computer protocols that prevent me for harming any sentient life in any way. Furthermore, chief engineer Tali Zorah can quickly shut down my energy core in case of danger thanks to her security codes."

Finally Tali surrendered

"Keelah, at this point it almost look like I am the bosh'tet inside the ship and not EDI. Fine Shepard, I will forget about the AI inside the ship for now, and no Raina, you and Lena are not some kind of monsters in my eyes. I let my people's past take a hold of me and you proved me wrong." said the girl

"Do not come crying on my shoulder the day this thing tries to kill us all." muttered a second later with hushed voice, but someone still managed to hear this

"What did you just said?" asked Shepard. Lena simply sighted

"Nothing! Nothing." shouted Tali in self-defense.

"Commander" Kelly's voice echoed inside the engineering room "Mordin asked for your presence inside the laboratory. He says it is urgent."

"Message received." answered Shepard "I must go Tali. See you later."

"Later Shepard."

With nothing else to say, both Shepard and Lena left the room.

"Until next time, master Tali." said Raina with a small bow, just before going out.

For some second no one dared to speak inside the engineering room

"That child" said finally Tali to her new colleagues "Is she really that good?

"Two years top, and she is ready to actually work." answered Kenneth quickly "You need to tell her something only once and she will remember it, and her training with this Quarian she keep mumbling about gave her a lot of practical knowledge. If I were in her mother's shoes I would enroll her in the best university of the galaxy the moment she is old enough, previous past be damned."

* * *

 **Laboratory of the Normandy Sr 2. Five minutes later**

"You wanted to see me, Mordin?"

The old scientist's face lit the moment he saw Shepard's arrival. The commander noticed the Mordin was FAR more excited than the usual, and that was saying something: the old doctor was moving even faster than usual and research notes flied alongside him wherever he moved. The laboratory itself was packed with instruments, all busy working and beeping once in a while.

"Yes yes! Made interesting discoveries. Symbiotic creature inside agent Lena surpassed every possible hypothesis. So much potential, so many new leads! Not even the Collectors so surprising! One thing before beginning; received some messages from old friends inside the STG: discovered that my old apprentice, Maelon, was sent to Tuchanka for a mission. Disappeared after two weeks, maybe caught. Wanted to ask if possible to go to Tuchanka and look out for him."

"Well...we need to go to Tuchanka in any case so, I do not see any problem." Answered Shepard

"Wonderful, wonderful! Back to the Yoki researches."

The hyper excited doctor quickly typed something on his omni tool and started to work

"EDI, activate my custom made holographic projector inside the laboratory."

"Yes doctor." answered the AI. A second later the light inside the laboratory dimmed and a lot of screens appeared inside the room. All of them depicted Lena's internal body and her various functions, and all of them proved to be totally intelligible for Shepard.

"Ok Mordin, what am i seeing?" asked Shepard

"This" said Mordin with patient voice "Is the normal, double helix structure found inside human genome and this." the old doctor showed another panel "Is agent Lena's current genome. As you can see another helix, one completely alien, merged with the human's ones. Lena is a human possessing a trice-pattern helix. Astonishing discovery all on itself, but this is only the beginning! Look at this."

Another image appeared

"Human possess only forty-six chromosomes, but Lena now possess one hundred and thirty two of them. That is how Lena manage to regenerate wounds and regrow flesh: these new chromosomes not only open up new possibilities, but also re-awaken old knowledge hidden inside the human's ones."

"Wait Mordin, what do you mean with re-awakening? And what about these new possibilities?"

"All creature begin as simple cellular mass until we grow limbs and bodies inside the mother's womb, or the egg!" answered Mordin merrily "Turian, Asari, Human, Salarian, it is a constance in the biology, but we lose that capability properly born. Not in Lena's case: the creature inside Lena can somehow force her brain to remember that time of her life, and use it to regrow lost limbs and organs. Think about the possibilities of this discovery Shepard: no more need of prosthesis, no more need of organ donors; a small use of this substance and the patient shall have a new, fully compatible organ, assuming we can overcome the collateral effects."

"Collateral effects?" asked Shepard

"Procedure not normal for any kind of sentient brain. Great pressure suffered during regeneration. Made tests with Lena and noticed that when regenerating small sized wound Lena's cerebral activity increased of the 123% for ten seconds. Very taxing for young and strong specimens, too dangerous for anyone else. Scans showed also that symbiotic creature tries to overcome original cells every time agent Lena tried to use this yoki substance and must be kept in check by the host otherwise disaster will happen. That is why agent Lena mutated when we tried to save her during Korlus's aftermath: her brain was silent, nothing prevented the creature from overpowering her host for a time."

"Understood." Shepard looked at the scans once again, pondering at Mordin's words "In that case, any luck in controlling this substance with some external means?"

"None for now, Shepard." Said Mordin with regret "Substance is more advanced that expected. Too complex and aggressive; destroyed every agent created to tame it. Another thing."

Another image, this time depicting Lena's whole body, appeared

"Every single part of Lena's body has been changed and improved by the yoki substance: the stomach is four time more efficient than a standard one. Her heart constantly beat at an accelerate rate: standard heartbeat for an average human is 75 per minute, my analysis counted 116 heartbeats per minutes and the subject was in a quiet state; lungs and veins have being modified by the substance with the purpose of enduring this new state without collapsing. Her liver can purify poisons and toxins at an astonishing rate, and an interesting valve regulate the amount of toxins purified by the body."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that agent Lena can overcome some of the deadliest toxins in the galaxy but can still drink alcoholic beverages and get drunk if she wish it. I suspect that some toxins can still harm Lena's body, maybe something that entirely discard the liver like Hanar's toxins, but I need more research before being sure. Another thing I discovered: her cells naturally regenerate at a velocity that I found only while analyzing malignant tumors. At the same time the thyroid glands secrete an unknown hormone that regulate this abnormal process and prevent it from getting out of control. All of this mean that unless there is some other process still unknown to me then agent Lena cannot die of old age."

"What?" this time Shepard almost jumped through the roof of the room "Are you seriously telling me that Lena is immortal?"

"It is a possibility." conceded Mordin "Still need more data."

This time Shepard found a seat and collapsed on it, digesting the informations. Super strong, agile, resilient and potentially immortal?! Was this some kind of joke?! No wonder the old scientist was so giddy.

"Something else you discovered?" asked Shepard after some seconds.

"Yes yes! One more thing: discovered the main body of Lena's symbiotic creature." Replied Mordin. With one gesture he opened another image, one depicting Lena's full body. Shepard looked at the image with attention, expecting to see the main body of...whatever was inside Lena in the middle section. That it was the main body of Lena's scar was situated after all. Instead the screen's video camera in front of him moved upward; it surpassed the heart, the lungs, the entire chest, the neck, the upper brain and finally….

Shepard took a long breath, he steadied himself and finally, after trying to not shout, he simply pointed the finger at the screen and said

"Mordin, in name of everything that is holy, what the fuck is that thing?"

The screen showed….well, Shepard was not sure how to call it: it appeared as some kind of purplish-red tentacled thing. It was quite small to be honest, but it had somehow managed to latch itself on Lena's cerebellum. The thing was clearly alive, Shepard saw it moving its small tentacles with purpose inside Lena's brain.

"This is the main body of the yoma creature. Scans show that from here the inputs necessary to create the yoki substance inside Lena's cells are sent." answered Mordin quickly, as if all of this was quite obvious

"But Lena's scar is on her chest!" shouted Shepard this time "Not on her head. Are you really imply that this...thing crawled its way toward Lena's head from the inside? It must have been atrociously painful!"

"Correct, and many died during this process. Spoke a bit with agent Lena, she told me that many subjects like her were kidnapped because of high mortality rate. Not surprised by this. This made me think about one last thing: whoever did this operation on agent Lena had no interest in the subject's survival."

A surprised frown marred Shepard's face

"What? Why?" he asked. Mordin opened another screen, one showing Lena's scar.

"Look at the scar Shepard: iron stitches, coarse thread. A competent surgeon would never use such makeshift objects for his experiments. Quite easy to find quality medical tool in the black market and any secret organization capable of creating such a hybrid and remain hidden for so long surely know about this. Also the matter of the roughness used to cure agent Lena's wound; found many loose threads and rusted stitches. Called doctor Chackwas and asked for a medical advice and she quickly backed up my hypotheses. Last but not least, why opening agent Lena's chest when a simple, selective operation in the brain could be much more safe and effective? Only answer I could find is that the researchers responsible for this not only refuse to follow the basic ethics of medicine but also are working on something far more important than mere human manipulation, and so decide to simply open up their test subjects and install the creature in the chest. Survival rate is drastically lower but the time needed for such an operation is far briefer, freeing them from wasting hours in doing what is for them a common occurrence. This or agent Lena come from a planet that still possess medieval-type technology and is completely cut off from the galaxy at large."

Shepard simply sighted: after everything he had just witnessed this last part proved to be only the last piece of one hell of a puzzle.

"So Mordin, consider me deeply impressed. What do you suggest now?"

"Need bigger laboratory, need to hire more scientists. Cannot do much from here: ship's laboratory is impressive but too small and cramped for this kind of research. Also ask for a favor: could you try to convince agent Lena to let me and a highly trained team of specialists analyze her inside a cutting edge laboratory complex? Now, understand agent Lena's distrust, but there is too much potential at stake. I can assure you I do not wish to behave like the people that turned her in what she is today. Can give her written assurances, personal connections, many safe havens, a luxurious treatment and a peaceful life for both her and Raina. Saved many favors and wealth during my life, more than gladly to spend it all for uncovering this one last, incredible secret."

It was a good offer, and Shepard knew that the old scientist really meant it. Still, Shepard remembered how Lena looked at him and his crew the first time they met each other: her distrust, her absolute fear and rage, like burning knives aimed at his throat. Sure she was a little more trusting now, mostly thanks to Kelly and, in a minor part, Kasumi, but this was still one hell of a step to take.

"I will tell her about this offer, but I cannot make any promises, and I will not force her if she will say no, Mordin." answered Shepard with caution

"Of course, of course!" said Mordin with understanding "Mental damage very high, do not wish to increase it. Also the matter that I refuse to be like the scientists that treated her in such a way. In case of refusal I will accept this."

There was conviction in the Salarian's voice, and his eyes looked sincere. Shepard decided to trust him in this

"Good to know. Next stop is Illium, Mordin. We need to refit the ship and deal with some recruitments. Then we go to Tuchanka. If you need something for your researches just put an order and the quartermaster will take it. Anything else I need to know?"

"No Shepard. Will still try to uncover more of agent Lena's case, and I shall also use my contacts in the STG this time. Maybe they shall find some leads."

"Very well Mordin, until next time."

And so the conversation ended. Mordin simply went back to his job while Shepard left the laboratory and moved right inside his room.

"EDI, I am unavailable for at least one hour." said Shepard, and the IA quickly acknowledged this

He then quickly grabbed the most difficult model inside his drawer and started building it. After all he had just survived one hell of a mission, re encountered her desired lover and received from his top scientist one report so insane that compared to this the Collectors were a minor nuisance.

No wonder he needed to clear his head!

* * *

 **And done! As I said, smaller than the others, but necessary. Now, before you lynch me, two things**

 **1) I found nothing in the mass effect wiki about Tali's past. Something about her old ship's name, what happened JUST before meeting Shepard, stuff like that.**

 **But how she learned to be an engineer? Who helped her become the young girl we meet at mass effect 1?, there is nothing about all of this in the wiki. Adding this to the fact that the Quarians are a nomad race and I think that postulating something like the old (like medieval old) apprenticeship system (where the masters accepted one, two pupils tops and said pupils lived and learned with the masters inside the shop) is not that far-fetched.**

 **If there is something inside the Mass effect books about Tali's past, then sorry but I do not possess those, and I hope you still find this idea endearing.**

 **2) Norihiro Yagi never explain in the Manga how to properly create a Claymore. It says only that Claymore possess "flesh and blood of a yoma inside them" and that the elements used to created them come from these Dragon descendants found inside the main continent. Stop. No actual description of the operation, no drawings, nothing. And so I used imaginations.**

 **Medically speaking I am fairly sure that what I just wrote is plain impossible in the real life (I am no biologist), but the idea of Claymore is also impossible in the real life so….is ok?**

 **Next chapter Illium and boy, this will be a long and fruitful one.**

 **Stay tuned**


	15. Chapter 13 Illium

**Chapter 13**

 **Illium**

 **And so here is the beginning of the Illium's arc. I shall warn you now: this arc will be long, like at least three chapter long.**

 **As always i appreciate feedback, as long as they are actually useful and not just a collection of insults.**

 **About the problem of me writing IA instead of AI, please look at the beginning of chapter 12**

 **I do not own nothing etc. etc**

 **Lena's room. 6 03 a.m. 23 march 2185**

There was some kind of ritual inside the ship, a ritual born thanks to the infamous Ripper and her unfailing habit of coming out from her room exactly at 6 a.m. Every day the Claymore would come out her room alongside her daughter, wash up a bit inside the ladies bathroom and quickly move toward the mess hall for a breakfast. So used was the crew to see this routine that many ensigns, the ones assigned to the night shift, treated the Claymore as their personal watch: she is outside, the night shift is over.

So it is easy to understand why, when such granitic bastion of tradition failed to fulfill her duty all of a sudden, many members of the crew shifted their eyes toward the Rippers's door with uncertainty.

Truth to be told, Lena was already well and truly awake but her body simply refused to move. Placed next to her, over a nightstand, the reason of this unexpected slight in her routine was looking at the Claymore: a small data-pad containing a book called "The three musketeers" written in french; the book that Kelly entrusted to her two days ago. The young counsellor had assured her that Lena would have enjoyed this supposedly classic of literature, and she was right: granted, the writing itself was different from the one from her planet, and not knowing who the hell were Richelieu, or Luigi XIII made the reading a bit challenging in the beginning, but the story was amazing! Even better that the ones told by the bards of Rabona.

It was so good that Lena almost forgot to sleep for two days, something that easily explained the current predicament.

Lazily, agent Lena for the first time in her life considered the idea of breaking down her tried and tested routine, enjoying the softness of the bed for another couple of minutes, maybe even a hour.

She could do that….

Until a small, cute and very familiar missile hit her bed with the strength of ten Yomas and moved inside her sheets with lightning speed.

Her daughter, Raina.

"Wake up mom, wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!"

"Hhhm, Raina! I barely slept last night, stay quiet for a while."

"But we are finally here! The planet where there are the forests. I wanna touch a tree once again, mum. Please!"

Lena tried, she really did, to ignore her daughter's plead but, In the end, the Claymore had to surrender: how was someone supposed to endure an assault so brutal as one of a child trying to rip away the blanket from your body?

Slowly, yawning and fidgeting inside the blankets, the Claymore got herself up from her bed, dressed up with actual clothes and see-sawed herself toward the bathroom outside the room; Next to her a giddy and already dressed Raina eagerly followed her.

-So- thought Lena while trying to wake up the old fashioned way, by splashing herself with cold water in the sink.

-Illium. Here we are. According to the texts I received from Kelly, this place is some kind of gigantic commercial hub. Might find something interesting for Raina.-

According to what EDI told her two days ago during a broadcast reserved only for active agents, Shepard decided to move toward this planet for three reason: first because here awaited the last two agents needed to complete the rooster; second because the ship needed some kind of improvements and Illium's shipyards were the best equipped for this kind of job and, lastly, because there were some personal problems to deal with inside this planet. But what really got Lena's attention that day was the announcement that, because of all of this mess most of the crew, agents included, finally had the chance to have some more needed shore leave!

According to Tali, it will take at least a week before the ship, so changed and modified by these improvements, would be able to fly once again: calibration of a new main gun, new plating for the bulkheads, more advanced scanning system and so on and so on do not install themselves on a flash after all. And so, being next to one of the biggest trading hub of the galaxy, and being stuck on it for some time, Shepard decided apparently to let his crew have some fun with the locals.

Lena still had a hard time accepting the existence of something like a holiday: actually paid free time offered by the manager for the employees. It was already a miracle if the lords of her home planet allowed the serfs to have a day off in case natural disasters like earthquakes, yoma invasions or diseases; actually paying someone so that he/she could have a holiday wherever he wanted? Beyond ludicrous!

The Claymore quickly dressed herself up and moved along with Raina toward the mess hall, hoping for a quick and, most importantly of all, alone breakfast. Even after all this time, Lena was still a bit unease about the whole idea of dining with all the crew inside a big, messy hall.

But this time she was in for a surprise: the second she opened the door of the Mess hall was the moment a sonic wave hit her with the strength of a sledgehammer. The Mess hall was a thrumming hive of activity, with dozens of crew members happily chatting and dining with each other, all while small, translucent drones milled around and showed small maps with important landmarks and best touristic places, from the most refined ones to the best bars in the run-down districts. From the lowest ensign to the top tier brass in the ship, everyone was already here, planning for his little vacation; even Grunt was here, looking thoughtfully at a data-pad.

Definitely not what Lena had expected. It even took some minutes for the pair to find a free place in the mess hall, and even more time to receive a breakfast from Gardner.

"Ah Lena" greeted a male voice from behind. Shepard's voice "For once you are not the first one to wake up."

"I can see this." retorted Lena drily "I have to say Shepard, this is….unexpected."

"The crew needed this. After the skirmish at New Horizon and all the high risk missions we endured, a little rest and relaxation is just what they need to vent their tension. However." Shepard's tone quickly lowered to a more professional one

"There is still some work to do, that is why Tali, along with some engineers, will stay inside the ship for most of the week and busy themselves with the new improvements; and why I am requesting some high level agents to stay in active duty for some time. You are among these agents, Lena."

-And the holiday with Raina all of a sudden fly away with the pretty wings of work.- mused Lena to herself. Never count the chicken before they hatch. Next to her Raina's expression slumped in less than a second.

"But wait." quickly added Shepard "I have no intention to rob you from your well deserved shore leave: all the operative agents will follow turns, allowing everyone to have at least two days of free time per agent. I am asking for you today because I need a hard-hitter that actually use his head before charging the enemy, unlike Grunt."

Lena slightly tilted her head in response

"You do not need to excuse yourself, Shepard: i signed a contract and I will uphold it. Just give me the time to find someone willing to take care of Raina for today."

Judging by Raina's sulking expression, Lena's sentiment was not a shared one.

"Take all the time you need, Lena: just be armed and ready to depart at midday, ship hour. Kelly will give you all the necessary data for the mission."

"Understood."

"Good. I should go now, I am leaving you to your affairs. See you next to airlock, Lena."

Lena simply lightly snorted and though about this new unexpected problem, wondering who would be willing to take an eye on Raina this day, especially considering that half the crew was out of commission for the entire day.

"Mum, this is not fair!" sulked Raina next to her, the small bowl of hot milk and biscuits next to her already forgotten. "The commander is preventing us to have fun!"

"The commander is doing his duty just as I am doing mine and, besides, you heard him right? I will be occupied only for a couple of days at worst. Just a pair of jobs and we shall be free to explore this planet."

Raina pouted in response

"We will have the chance to have some fun, Raina. I promise this." continued Lena. Finally Raina relented

"Fine mom. You go and fight bad guys as always, I shall be with teacher Tali."

"That is the spirit, Raina." chided Lena "Now, how to find Tali in this mess?"

* * *

 **Midday. Illium's city. Twelve minutes later.**

-This Illium is one of the greatest cities I have ever seen, and I am looking at it from the sky.- repeated Lena to herself times and times again, her mind still having trouble to accept what was happening. The warrior knew that right now she probably looked like a child lost inside a massive candy-store, but the Claymore could simply not stop gawking at the view and, for the first time of her life, she thanked her yoma's flesh for the amazing eyesight possessed by every Claymore.

The architecture of this city was beyond amazing: massive metal buildings, long highways that stretched in the dozens of kilometers, smokeless lights illuminating every nook and cranny of the massive city, all of this was nothing new for Lena at this point, and yet Illium managed to do much more than simply catch her eyes.

First of all, you could see a marvelous sky here: unlike on Omega, where everything was bolted down with bulkheads the size of a small house, here Lena could actually have the sun washing over her body, its touch one of a long-lost lover for the Claymore. Then there were the buildings itself: massive skyscrapers made with steel and reflective glass that gleamed like diamonds etched inside a giant crown, all of them housing thousand of families inside its crystal womb. Hundreds of machines idly moved in the ether like flocks of birds, the one where Lena was currently inside just one of many, many more. And the lights, the lights! On Omega proper illumination was a luxury afforded only to the most wealthy, but here not a single speck of land was left unchecked. Everything was illuminated, nothing was left in the dark.

But what really hit hard the Claymore were the people: there were hundred of thousands people only inside this city; Asari, Turian, Batarian, Elcor, Human, Drell, every race of this galaxy was in front of her, and in such amazing numbers; she could recognize them, all of them, despite the distance between them and the surface, mingling with each other, carousing, trading…

Back on her island, five hundred people were a throng and Rabona, the biggest city on the island, counted twenty thousand people at best! And here a million people were a common occurrence!

How the local government organs managed to feed such a massive number of people, let alone control it, was beyond the Claymore's mind.

The fact that Lena, for the first time in her life, was actually flying inside on of these strange metal contraptions called cars did nothing to ease the surprise.

"I take that you never visited a planet such as Illium, Lena." intervened Shepard behind her seat "Unfortunately we are on a mission right now, so could you lose yourself in sight-seeing later?"

"Ye-yes of course! My apologies." quickly said Lena, scolding herself for such an unprofessional behavior. Shepard simply snorted and tried, emphasis on tried, to calm down.

The mission was quite simple, and interesting at the same time: according to Miranda's informers, someone wanted to kidnap Miranda's daughter from her adoptive family on Illium. As such Miranda needed help to escort her sister, Oriana, and make sure that she could relocate on a safer place. Shepard was not alone with Miranda of course, both Lena and Jacob were coming with them, a balanced squad capable of dealing with anything short of a Collector attack, and yet for the first time in weeks Lena saw a side of Miranda that thought simply impossible: gone was the cold and ruthless woman, capable of dealing with entire squads of enemies without breaking a sweat, replaced by an entirely different person. Miranda kept panting hard during all the travel, growled at every small, little inconvenience that prevented the squad to immediately reach their destination and actually played with her hairs in a way to ease her tension! Her emotions, usually hidden under an impenetrable mask, were open to see for everyone.

It was almost unsettling to see it.

"Here!" said Miranda after ten minutes of driving, pointing at a small industrial hub down of them "We just need to pass this slum and we shall reach Oriana and her family's residential district."

Lena looked at the place pointed by Miranda and almost laughed at this remark: a slum? What her eyes were seeing was considered a slum? Sure the quarter Miranda mentioned possessed less light sources, the metal walls looked a bit consumed, and the place itself looked a bit neglected, but calling it a slum?!

-No whores flaunting their ruined bodies, no dirt-covered roads, no rats stalking the alleys, no crumbling homes left and right, no darkness holding thieves ready to stab you in the back and steal everything from your bloody corpse. Definitively not like the slums back on my home-planet.- mused Lena dryly.

The quarter itself appeared as both a residential district and an industrial one, with small houses placed near massive factories all linked together with massive chains, said chains used to move heavy crates loaded with goods to wherever was their destination.

The place was desert right now, not even a warden. It was strange, almost unnatural, and Lena was not the only one to notice this.

"Miranda, why is there no one down here? Not even a warden?"

"I do not know and I do not care, Shepard. Maybe there is a strike or a festival; right now we just need." snapped Miranda back, only to be stopped all of a sudden by a metallic voice.

"Incoming enemy fire." It was the car's computer's voice, and Miranda immediately reacted.

"Brace!" shouted Miranda immediately.

Immediately the car buckled and twisted like a crazed arrow, forcing its occupant to grab anything remotely stable and hold it for their life. Sparks and bullets started grazing the car's surface despite Miranda's best effort. Some bullets even managed to pierce the car, and Lena almost jumped from her place when a silver lining tore apart the car's metal and missed her head for a hair breadth.

"Miranda, we need to go down! This car will not last for long against consistent fire." shouted Shepard to Miranda. Behind him a small explosion tore bits of metal away from the car's engines

"Will try, Shepard." replied Miranda grimly. All of a sudden the ship buckled and nosedived toward the surface at supersonic speed.

* * *

 **Down of the surface**

"Cease fire, you bunch of idiots! Cease fire!" barked a lone officer dressed in bright colored yellow armor with a black sun on his chest. All around him fellow soldiers, the same armor covering their bodies, immediately stopped firing at their target: a small, black car now smoldering from a dozen of bullets holes.

"What part of taking them alive you misunderstood, you bunch of morons? Pray that no one inside that flying can is still alive, otherwise you will deal with captain Enyala, not me!"

Most of the soldiers around their leader visibly shuddered in fear. They all knew Enyala; they all knew how ruthless she was.

"Now, find a decent firing position and let me talk first. Assuming that someone will survive the crash!"

* * *

For the first time in her life, Lena truly believed that this was the end for her: she had fought against awakened ones, yomas of all sizes, monstrous creature of this galaxy inside that thrice-cursed arena on Omega, mercenaries, cyber-zombies and much, much more, and never feared death. Sure, it was always here, ready to snatch her in case of one single miss-step. But these were all cases where Lena could do something about this; she was the one in control during a battle.

But being inside a flying tin can, completely unable to control it and being able only to pray for salvation…

It was simply awful, not being in control.

Truth to be told, Miranda managed to somehow avoid the brunt of the crash by scraping most of the car body across the metal floor, allowing the crew inside to survive mostly unscathed.

Shepard was the first to come out from the burning wreckage, weapons ready and scanning for possible threats. Behind him Miranda and Jacob quickly followed; last arrived Lena, a bit bruised and banged but mostly fine.

They were quickly greeted by a dozen of armored mercenaries.

"Stand down, all of you!" shouted the lead man of this band. He was a human man, covered in tech-armor that shined with an orange, eerie glow. The armor itself was painted bright yellow and decorated with a black sun on its center.

It was enough for Lena to recognize them: Eclipse. They were a pretty common sight on Omega after all.

"Listen, Shepard." began the soldier "I know why you are here, and I have been ordered to give you a chance to come out alive. Take your group and move the hell out of here."

"We are not going anywhere!" snarled Miranda in response

"Bitch, we already know where is the boss's daughter you kidnapped years ago. Captain Enyala is already moving and your friend Nicket already told us where to go. You are too late."

Barked bark the merc commander, enough to left Shepard a bit confused. Kidnapped?

"You walk away, the girl goes back to her father, and everyone is happy."

"Everyone but Oriana." muttered Miranda

"Maybe we can talk with your captain. Resolving all this mess without killing each other." offered Shepard, trying to find a solution. The merc leader smirked at this suggestion

"Captain Enyala is not as polite as I am, and she received an astronomic sum just to keep you away from the child. You do not want to be in the way of an asari that can rip you to shreds with her biotics, Specter. Now."

the merc approached Shepard and looked at him right into the eyes.

"Last chance: get the hell out of here or die! Choose wisely."

Shepard waited for some seconds, pondering the situation: there were at least a dozen of soldier ready to fire at them, and no cover in the immediate vicinity. Armor and barrier could protect them only so much, especially against such a massive firepower. He needed a distraction.

Then he saw it: the factory was empty but the automatic conveyor belt were still active and dragging in the air massive container, container that for a split second were just above the mercenaries's heads. He just needed to wait.

"How much time do I have to decide?" stalled Shepard feigning ignorance

"You choose now, Specter." snarled back the leader. The container was so close, so so close.

"In that case." It all happened in less than two seconds: with one hand Shepard hit the mercenary leader right into the neck, stunning him on the spot, while the other hand grabbed his pistol and fired at the metal chain keeping the container afloat. The massive crate, now free, collapsed on the surprised mercs and smashed many of them under its weight, giving all the time to Shepard and his crew to react.

"Lena, charge!" shouted immediately Shepard, and Lena quickly complied. The Claymore grabbed her massive sword and dashed toward the nearest enemy, a mere Salarian recruit, bisecting the still stunned fool with one precise strike. The survivors among the mercenaries immediately fired at Lena in response, and the Claymore's shield flared dangerously after some second of sustained fire while she dashed toward the nearest cover, but in doing this the mercenaries allowed Shepard and his squad to pick them at their leisure.

In less than a minute the fight was already over.

"Good riddance; now let's wake up the sleeping beauty." Shepard kicked the lead mercenary still down. Once awake, it took only a second for the mercenary that he was in deep, deep trouble.

"As you can see, your men are all dead, and you shall soon join them if you don not answer my questions." cooly said Shepard, as if he was talking of the weather.

"First question. How many Eclipse soldiers have been deployed?"

The mercenary tried to stay shut, but a quick glance at the soldier bisected by Lena loosened up his tongue

"At least five parties, all at the direct command of captain Enyala."

"Where are they positioned?"

"No fucking clue! Every squad maintain radio silence during a mission just to avoid leaks. I was supposed to call them in case of success, so now who know what will happen."

"Fine. Last question: where is Enyala?"

One last, stubborn silence greeted Shepard's question

"Lena." simply said Shepard, and the Claymore quickly reacted by grabbing her sword.

"Up in the district! Up in the district!" squealed the mercenary immediately "There is an elevator at the end of the room. Take it, pass the hallway and reach the main storage room of this factory. Enyala is here along with the boy."

"Good man." chided Shepard cooly "Now run away. The Eclipse will never forgive you for this betrayal."

The merc leader, still amazed by the fact that he was still alive, quickly took the chance and ran away from the battlefield….only to have Miranda shot him in the back.

"What the fuck Miranda?!" shouted Shepard. "He was not a danger anymore!" judging by Jacob and Lena's stare they were also surprised

"He knew about my sister." answered Miranda as a matter of fact "He had to die. Now can we move Shepard, please?"

Shepard gritted his teeth but refused to argue with Miranda. This was neither the time nor the place for a bitching contest.

Following the dead merc's instructions, Shepard and his squad moved toward their objective, mindful of any possible enemy squad willing to place themselves between them and their target.

They were not disappointed: true to their reputation, the Eclipse mercenaries attacked them with a combination of entrenched foxholes, biotic attacks and surgical strikes from their commandoes, trying to pin Shepard and his squad down under a relentless wall of fire while their specialists tried to outflank them and their mechs and drones harassed the enemy's shield without pause. A solid plan, and one that would have worked if not for Miranda.

The normal cold operative was currently on fire, quite literally. The Eclipse threw literally everything at her, and still they failed to stop her: entrenched position exploded into a pile of scrap metal and alloys, mechs of every kind flied like rag-dolls without any semblance of control, entire patrols were destroyed by Miranda's power and even their specialists, Asari with at least a century of experience of warfare, collapse under the sheer volume of biotic power coming out from Miranda.

Lena was genuinely surprised by this: the more time passed, the more Miranda started resembling one of those fabled witches of the north used by the parents to scare their children. Hell, Lena even saw Miranda grabbing an Eclipse soldier with her biotic powers and literally ripping his head off with one brutal blow!

Needless to say, this impressive display of brutality, coupled with the rest of the squad's expertise, made short works of any Eclipse patrol that tried to stop them, and no one even got scratched in the process.

Still, the factory had seen better days.

"We are literally destroying this place." commented Jacob after another fight "Why the police is not already intervening?"

"Because most of the cops on Illium are corrupted. My father probably bought their loyalty for this mission." answered Miranda while grabbing something from the corpse of an Eclipse official "One of their computers. I will try to enter inside their communication network."

"While you do that, you may tell me what exactly is the deal with your sister." commented Shepard quietly "What is the deal with this kidnapping the merc kept talking about?"

Miranda had no intention of answering, that was clear to see. Her mouth twitched and her eyes tried to avoid Shepard while pretending to focus on the Eclipse's radio.

"Oriana is my biological twin." Finally answered Miranda "Remember about my father? The richest men in the galaxy? His greatest dream was creating the perfect wife for himself: submissive, intelligent, polite, beautiful, pleasant, you get it. And because there was no such woman in the galaxy, he decided to create one using genetics."

Miranda's left fist tightened all of a sudden

"She looked for a suitable woman, impregnated her and modified the unborn child since the beginning. Nine months later I was born, and my personal hell began.

The moment I was able to walk and talk was the moment he put me to work: my entire childhood is a continuous sequence of me studying, training my body and learning lessons of etiquette, always trying to improve myself for the sake of my father, always trying to become the perfect doll for him while having my body pumped with who know what kind of chemical agents. After the age of ten I already possessed the body of a young woman, amazing biotic powers and the brain power of three scientists, but that bastard was never satisfied with me. He always wanted more!"

This time Miranda's eyes literally blazed with fury. A cold, unrelenting fury.

"He treated me like dirt, never allowing me to have a social life and always pushing me like a slave driver until one day he simply abandoned me, leaving me alone with my rage. I was so furious, Shepard: being alone, not able to talk with anyone and betrayed by my own father, but I was trapped, abandoned, so I simply obeyed and lived like a hermit inside my own cell. Then, one day, I see my father screaming with joy while holding a small bundle of silk containing a child; Oriana, the new perfect woman. I should have feel anger toward her but in truth, when I thought about all the tortures and the sacrifices that my sister was about to suffer, something inside me snapped."

Miranda finally stopped using the terminal of the Eclipse and looked at Shepard right in the eye

"I kidnapped her, yes, because this was the only option left. I tore her away from that monster of my father and ran away with her. For one year I took care of her while escaping from father's agents, until Cerberus found me. I gave the Illusive Man an offer: the loyalty and submission of one of the brightest mind of the galaxy in exchange for a quiet life for my sister, and he accepted. I quickly became one of Cerberus's most trusted agents and in exchange Oriana now lives with a real family that loves her, far away from our father's reach."

notwithstanding to all, Lena showed to be quite taken by Miranda's story while her respect for the Cerberus's agent skyrocketed.

-Could I be as strong as her if necessary? I accepted to serve T'Von for two years but only because I was forced, and it took a lot of persuading and suffering. You on the other hand willingly enslaved yourself in exchange for the freedom of a sister that barely knew!- thought the Claymore filled with admiration

-You are far stronger than me, Miranda.-

"She is almost a woman now." continued Miranda "And I look for her in secret. She is so smart, Shepard, and cool. Only nineteen years old and already on the verge of winning a degree in biology, and the way she laugh with her friends. I am so proud of her, and that is why we must save her. I am sorry for not telling you the whole truth, Shepard, but when it comes to Oriana I get very protective."

"Yes, I saw that." commented Shepard dryly "Still, now I understand your motives. But what about this Nicket? The merc said that is working with Eclipse."

"I cannot genuinely believe that. Nicket is the reason I managed to escape from my father, and the only person I truly trust. I am sure that bastard was lying. Now let's go, we have already lost too much time."

* * *

 **17 minutes later**

"Nicket." said Miranda when both her and Shepard's squad reached their objective. They were finally here; after minutes of intense fighting against dozens of enemies, mechs, drones and god only know what else the Eclipse decided to throw at them, Shepard and his squad had finally reached the place where this captain Enyala was waiting for Oriana alongside her personal killers. The only problem was that she was not alone: an Asari clerk, probably a clerk of the factory and a human boy in his mid-twenties were next to her.

A boy that Miranda knew too well.

The clerk, noticing the impeding fire-fight, tried to run away only to have Enyala aiming her shotgun at her; luckily for the clerk, she ran toward Lena and the Claymore managed to grab her and shove her behind some crates next to Lena.

"You sold me out. Why?" there was genuine hurt inside Miranda's voice, alongside grief.

"Why?!" answered the boy, as surprised as Miranda "You wanted to escape, and it was fine! It was your choice and you deserved to do it! But then you kidnapped your sister just to spit on your father! That was not fine!"

"I saved her, you idiot!" snarled Miranda back "My father wanted to use her for his experiments!"

"Your father is the richest man in the galaxy! He would have treated her like a princess!"

"Are you done with this drama, boy?" intervened all of a sudden the Asari commando "Just give me the word and I shall kill this bitch!"

"No!" answered immediately Nicket "I told you: no one kill Miranda or her friend unless absolutely necessary. This will already be a traumatic experience for Oriana, we do not need to worsen it."

-Interesting. It appear that the boy is not a jackass as I suspected, only misguided.- thought Shepard while listening the banter.

"What make you think that you can kill us all, Eclipse?" taunted Shepard while he counted the enemy inside the room. So far he had counted five soldiers and two commandoes all scattered around the room.

"Ah, human! You think that only because you are a specter and go around with an army of bitches you are invincible? I killed and humiliated far more dangerous people than you, and your little bitch with the sword know this very well."

"What?" asked Shepard to himself. Behind him Lena's face remained a mask of stoicism, but Shepard could see small droplets of sweats coming down from her face

"Oh yes, I still remember the quality time I passed with you two years ago, dear Ripper." continued Enyala unabated "Do you remember? How you squealed like a bitch in heat under my touch? The fun we had together on Omega?"

Lena's stoic facade disappeared under a scowl, but still the Claymore refused to answer

"Nicket" intervened Shepard finally "Why haven't you simply tried to contact Miranda? To try to hear her part of the story?"

"I wanted to, I really did. But then I discovered that she decided to leave her own sister in the hand of a random family only to join Cerberus. Cerberus! My best friend kidnap her own sister and leave her to a bunch of no-ones only to join an organization of racists! That is why I decided to contact your father, Miri."

These words actually hurt Miranda. She looked shocked at Nicket, for a second unable to properly answer.

"You...you misunderstood everything, Nicket!" She said in the end "I joined Cerberus because they could protect me and Oriana from our father, and the family I choose for her is one of the best I could find. Oriana is happy with them and you are about to destroy her entire life for nothing."

"Besides." quickly added Shepard "Don't you know that Miranda's father is one of the biggest Cerberus's backers?"

That caught Nicket off guard

"W-what?"

"Mr Lawson is one of the biggest Cerberus backers, and is widely known for his illegal genetical experiments. I made some researches about him, and I discovered that he is one hell of a bastard: kidnapping, thievery, murder, you name he did it, or his scoundrels did it. Do you really want to hand over Oriana to a dangerous psychopath that has already proved to be a terrible father?"

"I..i" stuttered Nicket

"If her father truly wanted what is best for Oriana, he would have come for her in person. Instead he ordered her kidnapping without even thinking about what Oriana desires. Think about it for a second, Nicket."

"He..is with Cerberus? Then why...what the hell?"

"You made a mess, Nicket." said Miranda "If only you'd granted me the chance to explain everything before calling him."

"Oh come on!" snarled Enyala back "Do not dare chickening out right now, human."

"I...i" said Nicket hesitantly "The situation has changed. I cannot lend Oriana to him after discovering all of this. The deal is off."

BANG

Enyala's shotgun boomed inside the room with the power of a thunder strike! A second later Nicket, his chest now a ruined mess of blood, organs and splintered bones, looked at himself with eyes full of surprise. Then, when the pain finally arrive, the boy could do nothing else than gurgling and trying to call Miranda while his legs failed him. Behind him Enyala simply smirked

"Told you boy, no last minute betrayals. Now, could you gently"

the room around Enyala exploded. One savage movement from Miranda and the Asari commando literally flied like a bullet across the entire room, only her biotic barrier saving her from having her backbones smashed.

"You will pay for his death, you fucking bitch!" roared Miranda, and just a second later all hell broke loose.

Enyala's goons immediately reacted and fired at Shepard's squad but it was already too late, and the whole room exploded in a violent fire-fight. Bullets and biotic attacks flied against Miranda only to be stopped by her barriers while Shepard and Jacob picked at any Eclipse soldier stupid enough to stay out of cover for more than one second.

"Lena." simply said Shepard. It was enough for the Claymore.

With a fluid motion, Lena dashed away from the cover and moved toward her targets. Predictably, the image of a mad half-human beast charging against their line without any care for her own safety startled more than one soldier; coupled with Shepard and Jacob's constant barrage, it is not a surprise that once again no Eclipse managed to pierce Lena's shield before it was too late.

Lena's first target was a simple Salarian soldier, lightly detached from the rest of the squad. The Claymore was too fast for the poor soldier and with a single, diagonal swipe Lena cut part of the Salarian head alongside most of his upper torso.

Not even a second had passed that Lena was already moving toward the next target, a female engineer. The girl, terrified after seeing one of her comrade almost cut in two, shrieked in fear and launched a surge of electricity against Lena that destroyed her shields; not enough to stop the Claymore.

Lena thrusted her sword right into the stomach of the enemy's engineer, shattering the enemy's shield on impact and breaking at least five ribs. The Eclipse soldier reeled under this massive blow, dropping her gun and grabbing her chest in desperation while her breath became haggard. The Claymore next to her quickly raised her sword, ready to behead her…..and all of a sudden what could only be defined as a massive ball of biotic energy hit the engineer square in the back, literally ripping the poor engineer apart and slamming the Claymore next to her straight into a pile of crates with a thunderous noise.

Confused, her ears ringing and with bits of the now deceased engineer scattering along her body, Lena wrenched herself away from the pile of broken crates just a second before another biotic attack slammed itself right into her chest, breaking down her armor and most of her ribs in one single blow. Lena's mouth opened in a silent scream, a rush of blood escaping from her lips; her sword escaped from her now trembling hands and the Claymore felt a massive weight inside her chest. Lena tried to regenerate the damage she suffered, only to have a pair of blue hands grabbing her neck and slowly chocking her.

Enyala. Apparently the mercenary killed one hour ago was right about her power: Lena had never suffered such a powerful biotic blow from any foe, even when inside the arena.

"A shame." said her would be assassin with fake regret. Lena tried to react but she could barely feel her hands, and Enyala's grip was strengthened by her biotics "I would have loved to keep you around, as a pet maybe. Scars aside, you have an amazing body." The grip around Lena's neck tightened all of a sudden "Unfortunately, the contract is clear."

Lena tried to react in some way, any way, refusing to die like a weak lamb to the slaughter, but the pain was so crippling! Enyala smirked at this, and one of her hands glowed with ominous blue energy, ready to crush Lena's head to a pulp.

"Say good-bye, darling." chided Enyala. The glowing hand moved toward Lena, even closer.

But just at the last moment, when Enyala's hand was an inch away from Lena's face, another force prevented Enyala from moving. Another biotic aura enveloped the commando's body like a blanket, preventing any aggressive move. Furious, Enyala turned her head and looked at her surrounding, trying to understand what was ruining her fun. What she saw terrified her: all her soldiers laid down dead, their bodies littered with bullet holes; Shepard's squad on the other hand was unscathed and Miranda was literally glowing like a lighthouse, her biotic power trapping Enyala like a fly inside the spider's nest. So focused had Enyala been about defeating Lena that she had completely forgotten about the battle, and now she was all alone against Shepard, his squad, and a very pissed off Miranda.

Miranda made a snapping gesture with her hand and all of a sudden Enyala was yanked off from Lena. The Asari commando tried one last, desperate attempt to free herself, only to discover that Miranda was way stronger that her right now. The Cerberus agent simply kept her trapped with one hand and took her heavy pistol with the other, a savage grin on her lips.

The first shot tore a hole inside Enyala's left arm. The second pierced her stomach, the third destroyed her left foot.

Miranda took all the time she wanted, enjoying every single second of it. Only after she literally riddled Enyala's body with bullet holes, Miranda decided to end this.

"I told you that you would have paid for Nicket, bitch." she whispered to the dying commando. One last shot and Enyala's death exploded like a ripe melon, spraying the room with purple blood.

The battle was over.

Lena, now free from Enyala's embrace, tried to stand up only to have her wounds screaming at her in pain and rage. For a scone her vision blurred and lost her footing, but thankfully Shepard was ready to catch her.

"Easy Lena." said Shepard gently "According to my omni-tool, most of your bones are broken."

"I know." answered Lena weakly "And I hate it: mending shattered bones is such a bitch! Even for me." The Claymore whimpered for a second before continuing "I fear I am combat incapable, Shepard. At least for half an hour."

"Noted" said Shepard "Miranda, do you detect any more enemies?"

"Negative Shepard. Nothing from the omni-tool and the Eclipse's radio." a sight of relief escaped from Miranda's lips. "Oriana is now safe."

"Shepard" intervened all of a sudden Jacob "What about that clerk?"

Shepard had almost forgotten about her: the Asari girl saved at the last second by Lena was still alive, and judging by her muttering and prayer she was still freaking out behind her cover.

Sighting, Shepard slowly approached the girl while drawing out his best secure face.

"Oh goddess!" squealed the girl when she saw Shepard coming toward her "Please don't kill me! I am only a clerk working inside this factory. They ordered me to guide them! I am not an Eclipse, I swear! Oh goddess, save me!"

"Calm down" answered Shepard with his most soothing voice "We know that you are not an Eclipse, and you know that you are innocent. You are free to go wherever you desire, we will not stop you."

The asari girl slowly raised her head and looked hesitantly at Shepard, her eyes still crying in fear

"I...i can?" asked the girl unconvinced "You will not kill or imprison me?"

"I am a specter, not a slaver" answered Shepard "I was just doing my job. I am sorry that you got involved in all of this, and I do not see any reason to detain you."

"Specter!? A human!? Then you...oh goddess, thank you! Yes, I will go." screamed in joy the scared asari. The girl quickly stood up and moved toward the exit, but at the last second she stopped. Puzzled, Shepard followed the asari with his eyes, trying to understand why this sudden indecisiveness.

Then, all of a sudden, the clerk moved toward Lena and hugged the Claymore.

Suffice to say that almost everyone looked at this slack jawed, especially Lena

"Thanks." said the clerk to a thoroughly puzzled Lena "Without you, that commando would have shot at me. You saved my life today, and I will never forget it."

"Well...i...yes...in truth" tried to answer Lena, but she genuinely had no idea how to deal with this: appreciation about her fighting skill, silent approval, hell even playful jabs from her fellow warriors, she was used to things like this. Honest to the goddesses gratitude from a complete stranger that she saved on a whim? That was something completely new!

Next to her Shepard, instead of helping her, was having the time of his life and simply chuckled at the image of her oh so terrifying squad mate behaving like a fish out of its pond.

"Wait" said the asari clerk after embracing Lena and finally noticing all her wounds "You are wounded! But do you not have medi-gel or what?! You must immediately go to an infirmary, and I know one next to this factory."

"No really" tried to protest Lena "This is not necessary. I can take care of this, and I have a duty"

"Actually, I think you should go with her, Lena." intervened Shepard all of a sudden "You heard Miranda: the mission is over, and you need a quiet place where to regenerate your broken bones."

Lena almost jumped from her place after hearing this

"But" she tried to protest only to be immediately cut off

"Go, heal yourself and socialize, Lena. This is an order." stated Shepard. This was more than enough for the asari clerk, that started dragging the poor, confused Claymore toward the exit, despite the Claymore's protests

"What?! Wait, what do...do not push...stop it...Shepard!"

Shepard's answer was simply smiling sardonically at Lena, ignoring all her protests. In less than five minutes both of them were gone.

"Shepard." asked Jacob a second later "I do not understand the reason of this."

"Lena need to come out from her shell." simply answered Shepard "And I doubt that an asari clerk is much of a threat for a soldier like her, even in this state. But let's not dwell on this: we still need to be sure that Oriana and her family are safe."

 **And so end the first part. Stay tuned for more**

 **Have a good day**


	16. Chapter 13-1 Illium

**Chapter 13.5**

 **Soooo, this is not chapter 14, rather an appendix, I had to tie some loose ends after all.**

 **A little something that show how other people (not all, some) might see Lena inside this strange universe**

 **13 minutes after the battle, Illium, factory's outskirts**

There actually was an infirmary inside this goddesses forsaken factory complex; a small, hidden room complex left untouched by the ravages of the precedent battle. Clearly not hidden for the Asari, considering how quickly they reached it.

The place in question was a small, secluded complex placed far from the main body of the now ravaged factory; a small complex of rooms left untouched by the previous battle and showing the Asari's symbol of medicine and first aid. The metal doors appeared closed shut and the place itself abandoned, as any place where a bunch of mercenaries are currently fighting a war should be.

That gave Lena the small hope of dusting off this annoying wanna-be savior and finally be on her way.

"Do not be worried" preceded the asari clerk before Lena could actually speak "Sheir is still inside, waiting for me, and will immediately open the door the moment I will identify myself."

-I was hoping for the complete opposite.- groaned Lena to herself, but still allowed the clerk to drag her away.

There was a small intercom next to the door, and the clerk quickly reached it and pressed some buttons in what clearly was a designed combination. Less than five seconds later the metal doors of the complex opened without a sound and a troubled looking asari come out to greet Lena's companion in quite the way. This Sheir were clearly more that simple acquaintances, unless kissing your friend in the mouth was some kind of tradition inside Asari's societies.

"Alina! Oh goddess" Shouted Sheir to her companion "I was so worried about you! Cursed that bitch of the proprietary for forcing you to accompany that bunch of thugs. I heard so many shots and.."

Finally Sheir noticed that Alina was not alone.

"You...you" said Sheir in utter disbelief, something that surprised a bit Lena: the asari was looking at her with a mixture of surprise and...awe? Lena was not sure about the latter, but this was clearly not the reaction she had expected

"She saved me" quickly said Alina to her lover "The mercs I was forced to tour around the factory, their leader tried to kill me. I am still alive only thanks to her but she got wounded in the process. Can you help her?"

Professional conduct finally kicked in after hearing this. The Asari quickly activated her omni-tool and moved toward the wounded Claymore.

"May I?" she asked. Lena huffed but nodded

The omni-tool blipped and chirped, and soon a stream of data flowed inside the machine's display

"According to my omni-tool, most of your ribs are off place and your hands… half of the digits are broken or dislocated. What in the goddess's name hit you?"

"Unimportant!" quickly answered an annoyed Lena "I just need a quiet place where to mend this mess. Do you have a spare bed or something?"

Sheir looked at Lena as if she was insane

"A bed? You need medi-gel, heavy medications and to be checked for at least two weeks, miss! Do you really desire to"

"Sheir" Lena interrupted the girl with one firm tone "Look at this."

The Claymore moved her wounded hand in front of Sheir's face

"Miss, I do not" began Sheir, only to be stopped by seeing the impossible: Lena's broken fingers started twitching madly in front of her, rebuilding themselves in less than seconds! Shattered bones reattached themselves, broken ligaments moved back to their original places and ripped skin regenerate in the blink of an eye. It happened only on two digits and it clearly strained the still exhausted Claymore, but the message was clear.

"I just need a place to rest and regenerate." finished Lena "And maybe something to drink. That is all."

"I...i...the skin, the bones...how...what?!" said a flabbergasted Sheir in front of Lena. Thankfully Alina was ready to help her.

"Sheir, she just need a quiet place. Is there something wrong with that? The patient rooms are all empty, right? She can rest and recuperate here."

Sheir for a moment did not respond, she could not respond. Her face was still fixated on Lena's right hand, the same hand that somehow now possessed at least two fully functional fingers.

"Ok...you know what? I will neither make any question nor try to understand what I just witnessed. You saved my bond mate and this is enough for me. Come inside."

* * *

 **an hour later**

A comfy bed, a room all for herself, some refreshment placed next to her and the blissful experience of being alone. Lena had to give this to both Sheir and Alina, they really knew how to treat a guest like her! The blankets, the bed itself, the sensation of comfort after a long, hard fought battle, even an old warrior like Lena could not resist under such an assault. Next to the bed her Claymore, gently resting on the wall, was waiting for her owner to grab it once again alongside her now partially ruined armor. Another unexpected act of gentleness from her hosts.

One hour had already passed after that dreadful battle against Enyala, her goons and that small army of Eclipse mercenaries, but now Lena could finally properly regenerate her broken body.

First the fingers, then the ribs; all of her broken bones slowly knitted back together while ruptured flesh mended itself without leaving a single scar.

-Another sprinkle of yoki and….done.- thought Lena after repairing the last bone. Carefully the Claymore stretched her now healed bones, checking for any lingering damage.

Fractures were, after all, the most annoying type of wound to mend for a Claymore.

-Fingers ok. Ribs ok. It will take some time to get used to them as always, but I am finally combat operative once again. About damn time.- reasoned Lena satisfied

The Claymore allowed some more minutes for herself after the healing, but in the end she finally moved up, grateful for the Asari's hospitality but desiring only to come back to Raina.

She knew where to find the Asari's couple: this infirmary was fairly small and, apart from a small cluster of rooms for the patients, a supply depot and an office for the doctor in charge, the only place where Lena could find her hosts was the waiting room just before the exit, and so the Claymore simply decided to move toward them; besides, she could hear their voices from here.

Few large steps later and the Claymore was already out her room, moving toward the Asari couple that gently gave her such a quiet place to regenerate. Lena moved her arm toward the handle

"I still cannot believe this." The voice of one of the Asari inside the other room interrupted her. It was Sheir's voice, and it reached the Claymore's ears loud and clear. "These assholes of the corporates force you to escort a bunch of killers. You almost die under their fire and somehow survive a fight between a commando of Eclipse and that human specter's squad."

"Tell me about it." this time it was Alina's voice

"But the most incredible part is that she is among the specter's squad! And she saves your life to booth!" Again with Sheir, and this time her voice was laced with awe and desire "Tell me Alina, was she as good as we always imagined? No tricks or reconstructions?"

This piqued the Claymore's interest, so much that, against her usual behavior, Lena decide to stop on her track and eavesdrop the two Asari's conversation. They were talking about her after all.

"Even better! Their leader, that bitch that tried to kill her, had to use all her biotic power just to have a chance, and this left her entire team leaderless and exposed. That is how insanely good she was! A powerful commando had to go all in against her and still lost! Think about that for a second. I almost forgot that my life was also in danger for a moment back there, so enraptured I was."

-Wait: she was in mortal danger and she still decided to watch me fighting?- thought Lena puzzled

"And the way she fought! Only with her sword and yet as deadly as a Justicar! I know that I should not be so excited about all of this death, but the way she fight is simply divine. How could you not be awed by her: close and personal, no technology or strange devices, only skill and dexterity."

"I am just happy that you survived during all this mess: I also appreciate her fighting skills but that does not mean that I wish to be in the middle of a battle. I see enough dead people already with my job thank you."

-As everyone should be.- finished Lena -What the hell is wrong with that Alina girl?-

Lena had finally enough about all of this and opened the door. As already suspected by Lena both the Asari were sitting around a small table, but they both stood up the second they saw the Claymore.

"My thanks for the hospitality." said Lena to them with neutral voice "But now I must go: my commander is surely waiting for me.

Again, instead of being happy that a super dangerous person decides to leave them without harming them, both the Asari's faces lit with regret, perhaps even sadness

-Is there something wrong with their heads?- questioned Lena to herself -Why are they behaving this way?- still, she kept a stone gaze

"Is there something wrong?" she instead asked, calmly.

"You..you sure you desire to go away already?" asked Alina to the Claymore "It is not like you are disturbing us."

"I am under Shepard's order. I must go back to him." stated Lena plainly

"But" tried to rebuff Alina, enough for Lena to lose her stony facade.

"By the goddesses, what is wrong with you, girl?" snarled Lena back to the girl "I really cannot understand if you are incredibly naive or have a death wish: you end up in the middle of a firefight against an Eclipse commando, you somehow survive the battle and yet decides to bring with you a wounded soldier that you do not even know, putting your mate at risk in the process. Last but not least, when said soldier decides to move away without harming you in any way, you protest? Have you a pinecone in place of the brain?"

Harsh, but in all due honesty Lena simply could not understand Alina's behavior.

"What? But you….I" Alina stammered under Lena's harsh tone. Luckily for her Sheir was ready to support her lover.

"you do not need to be so rude, miss!" said Sheir to Lena "Alina is far too trusting, I will give you that, but your reputation precedes you Ripper. There is no way that someone like you, a famous gladiator and a soldier under a specter's authority would end up as a mass murderer."

The entire room became deathly quiet. Lena's eyes narrowed like a pair of fissures, glaring at the young asari couple

Lena's voice escaped as an cold whisper "How do you know about my past, or about me being at Shepard's service." Unknowingly from the two asari, the Claymore also closed his fists, ready to attack.

The answer was not immediate. Both the asari were clearly unsure about how to properly respond

"Well?" pressed Lena

"We followed your actions through the Extranet." finally answered Alina "We managed to find a lot of informations inside the dark web about specter Shepard's, mostly conspiratorial theories and whatnot, but among the filth there were some gems, such as a photo of you accompanying Shepard on Berkenstein during a gala with Mr. Hock."

"What!?" Saying that Lena was surprised by this was the understatement of the century "Let me see." Alina quickly obliged and opened her omni-tool, revealing to the livid Claymore an image of a scantly-dressed Lena mingling with the guests, a glass of champagne in one hand and a stupid smile on her face.

"I knew that it would have come to haunt me back." groaned Lena to no one in particular. Of all the moment, the photographer had to immortalize her just where she was distracting these disgusting parasites. "I swear i am gonna find the bastard who photographed me and tear him apart, piece by piece. And you pray, tell me" continued Lena annoyed "What manner of encouraged you to follow every single step of mine?"

Another silent stare. One of too many

"Answer me, girls." Now Lena's tone was icy, like the snows of the north

"We wanted to know" said Sheir "Mostly Alina, but I was also curios. We wanted to know what happened by one of the greatest gladiator in the galaxy." A look of astonishment passed through Lena's face, and this was not even the biggest part.

"You see, we both are your fans."

Now Lena had to let out what could only be described as a sight of despair. The Claymore knew about these nutters: people that for some odd reason elevate famous writers, artists, politicians and apparently also warriors to semi-divine status; they worshipped their new gods with reverent vigor, they collected photos or objects used by their idols and kept them as sacred relics, they created small covenants of like-minded individuals and wrote terrible poems in their honor. Hell, they even fought with insane vigor against any who dared to attack their self-proclaimed legends!

And Lena was in presence of two of them! No wonder Alina almost dragged her to her lover's hospital instead of simply thanking her and be on her way as fast as humanly possible; no wonder they both decided to let her inside without even truly complaining.

-Now what?- asked Lena to herself, unsure about how to react to all of this

"But is..is not like we actively spied you!" quickly added Alina fearing the worst "Apart for that photo found on the deep extranet, we know little else of your whereabouts! Goddess, I discovered that you were on Illium today when you saved me from that bitch!"

"Right, is not like we are a police agency. Inside all your fan-blogs there are a lot of theories about what happened to you after your disappearance but nothing more." supplied Sheir

But Lena's mind was already leagues away from them.

-I cannot believe about what I am hearing.- groaned the Claymore

"You were on Omega two years ago?" asked Lena instead, trying to find some answers "I never thought a pair like you as someone willing to visit that sewer."

"No, we have never been on Omega." answered Sheir "But this is Illium, a place where if you are rich, famous or lucky, everything is at your disposal. We were lucky: thanks to a friend of ours we managed to receive some keys for the deep extranet, a more secluded place of the web. It is such an interesting place, filled with web-sites and channels that you cannot find on the normal extranet and while we were zapping for something interesting we found you." Sheir's voice became dreamy for a second "I still remember it: it was your twentieth fight on the arena."

Lena grimaced for a second, making the math and remembering that peculiar day: in a way to spice up the battles, that day T'Von forced her to fight inside a lightless arena with dozens of broken tubes spewing out gouges of blue flame in a totally unpredictable way, all while fighting against a pair of Krogan berserkers.

The deafening, maddening cheers, the total darkness interrupted only by brief flashes of blue light, the roars of the Krogans, it had been and currently still is one of the most insane battle ever fought by the Claymore; and deadliest. It took days for the burns to disappear.

"The way you moved and fought in the pitch black of the Arena, the gracefulness of your actions compared of the krogan's clumsy attacks….it was divine to watch." Added Alina to Lena "A dance of death."

"After that day we followed your career until your last battle against that asari commando, some weeks ago. Then you disappeared, and no one in the channel managed to explain why you left. Some assumed that you finally decided to retire after two years of winnings, others talked about a scandal of sort, others about a secret child, you have no idea how many theories can spring up in less than a week."

-They do not know- understood Lena in that moment -They do not know that I was a slave under T'Von's grasp. They think I was a freelancer of some sort.-

Part of Lena wanted to spit everything at the asari couple; to tell them the harsh, bleak truth of her situation and destroy all of their stupid dreams, but in the end she refused to do so: what was their guilt? Being ignorant? Appreciating someone without knowing the whole truth? At least they were not throwing rocks at her for being a Claymore, or using her daughter as a hostage.

"I joined specter Shepard's team weeks ago. He made me an irresistible offer and I accepted it. Besides, his cause is far more just that some battle in the arena." half lied Lena to the asari couple

"So you are not Shepard's secret lover?" asked Alina innocently "And here I thought that was the reason for that gala on Berkenstein."

If look could kill, Alina would have been a broken mess at the floor right now

"I am not Shepard's mistress." Lena almost snarled at Alina "What in the goddesses's name are you implying?! We only have a working relationship, and that gala was just a...by the goddesses! Look who i am talking about our missions. Listen, it has been a pleasure to talk with you, especially now that I understand your strange behavior, but I must go back to Shepard's ship. I have a duty to attend."

"Oh." The tone was final, and even the girls understood this "We understand but….could we ask for a favor?"

"Tell me."

"Could you...pose for us for a second? We just wish to take a picture with you. The others will become green on envy. The greatest gladiator in the entire galaxy, no one will believe it!"

-Great! They want a portrait now.-

Some weeks ago Lena would have simply told them to tell them to shove off but, surprisingly for the young Claymore, this time something urged her to be gentle. After all Sheir and Alina were not a pair of lecherous bastards like most Asari on Omega, or bad people in general: they offered her a place where to heal, they thanked her for her actions (something never done by the humans back at the island) they behaved nicely with her….

They are asari yes, and Lena still hated Asari in general with a passion, but _These asari_ are good people.

-I'm growing soft.- growled Lena quietly -This is all Shepard and Kelly's fault.- Still, she refused to kick them away

"Fine, but just one, is that clear?"

Alina literally squealed in joy as an answer and quickly activated her omni-tool, placing it near the table while activating the remote functions.

"Could you do an epic pose with your sword?" asked Alina, but a stern glare from Lena told her to not go overboard.

"O...ok. Simple photo." answered quietly

Both Sheir and Alina put their arms around Lena, never noticing the Claymore's distressed gaze, and smiled at the camera. A second later a spanking new photo was placed inside a locked folder.

"It is amazing! Ah, take that you stupid Klix! Thanks for everything, truly."

"I should be the one thanking you for your hospitality." answered Lena flatly "But you are welcome."

They exchanged some more pleasantries, but it was time to at this point. Still, both Sheir and Alina practically escorted Lena toward the exit, constantly asking her question about possible family, the desire to become a gladiator once again, her personal life, everything just to keep her around just for some more seconds.

They failed: Lena simply endured this last assault until they reached the exit, something that annoyed the young couple to no end.

The front doors were quickly opened and the calm, empty space of the factory greeted the Claymore, urging her to move.

"Again, thanks for the hospitality. Until next time." they were her last words of Lena for them, and they finally let her go.

"You will always be welcome here, gladiator!" shouted Alina to the Claymore, just a second before she disappeared from their view "Always!"

No actual answer could be deciphered from Lena body language, but if only They could have been a little closer, bot Alina and Sheir would have noticed a small smile making its way through the Claymore's face.

"I will remember that. It is not that often that I hear such a phrase."

 **Done boys and girls. As I previously said, this is just an appendix of the previous chapter. Didn't want to create a 10 000 words monster. It simply does not work.**

 **Next chapter, still on Illium, but with a little twist.**

 **Stay tuned.**

 **P.S. the part about the fans and their fan-fictions….i am sorry, I couldn't resist.**


	17. Chapter 14 Illium 2 day

**Chapter 14**

 **Illium.**

 **2 day**

 **Normandy Sr-2. 6 49 ship hour. Mess hall**

 **To be honest, i am a bit unsure about this chapter, the jousting part still feel a bit dodgy, but let's see what you think.**

 **As always have fun and tell them if it is shoddy or decent**

According to the ship's clock it was almost dawn inside the Normandy and, as always, only Lena, Raina and a handful of crew members were currently awake and present inside the mess hall. Ensigns with the night shifts, engineers busy retrofitting the Normandy, theirs was a thankless but necessary job, one that was usually target of many hushed haggling and gambling. The poor sods forced to endure this job always tried to see the positives side in their plight, like being the first to eat breakfast inside a silent, almost empty room instead of fighting and biting for every single scrap of space during the ship's rush hour.

Interrupted only by the quiet, buzzing sound of the air recycler, the mess hall was a haven of peace and tranquillity inside a chaotic ship.

"But I do not want to go there!"

Well….most of the time

"By the goddesses Raina! Why can you not see the opportunity right in front of you: museums, parks, recreation centers….so many damned choices where back on our home you were lucky if a nun could teach you something about music and court etiquette!"

"I do not want to learn all of those silly stuff! What I learn from teacher Tali, Ken and Gabby is already enough! Why can't we simply go inside a forest and have fun!?"

"Nonsense! I will not have a barbarian like Helen as a daughter."

"But muuum."

"No buts, little missy!"

And so the battle between mother and daughter continued for long, interminable minutes for the crew. Angry words stopped by stubborn resistance while two powerful wills clashed against each other in battle. The rest of the crew, the ones still present, were clearly annoyed by all of this but no one ever dared to stop them. It was already strange to see the infamous Ripper breaking away from her usual behavior, but seeing her fight against her beloved daughter? This was completely unheard of, and stepping on such unfamiliar ground was like trying to pass an uncharted mine field. Dangerous at best, suicidal at worst.

Some still tried, the bravest, the stupidest or simply the most tired among them, too exhausted after the shift to even care about any possible repercussion, and moved toward the Ripper with the clear purpose of ending this charade. They all stopped when Lena's fist collided with the table she was currently using and almost shattered with one, single punch.

All but one.

"Why are you so stubborn all of a sudden Raina?"

"Maybe" said a soft voice behind Lena and Raina "You should have simply asked that question in the first time instead of causing all of this mess?"

Both Lena and Raina immediately stopped arguing and turned their heads, and found Kelly'e eyes looking, no not looking, glaring at them. There was no fear inside the girl's eyes, or rage; just annoyance and a hint of playfulness that preoccupied the Claymore for a second.

"May I sit with you?" asked Kelly innocently. Lena simply nodded and gave her some space "Thanks girls. Now, care to tell me how both of you managed to wake up at the wrong side of the bed?"

"What?" inquired Lena, unsure.

"Lena." Kelly's tone was now one of a mother scolding a child "I could hear you from my room! And my room is two decks away from the mess hall. And you, Raina, were not helping."

These words hit both Lena and Raina with the strength of a hammer blow. Hesitantly, both girls looked around and finally noticed that they were not alone. Many crew members were looking at them, without drawing attention, that was clear, but their eyes were fixated on the Claymore and her daughter, and not in a good way.

"Goddesses..i" stuttered Lena embarrassed "I...we were just."

"Noisily discussing in front of the entire crew?" finished Kelly for her "What is the reason for all of this mess anyway? I never saw you raising your voice in front of Raina, ever."

"Well...about that." began Lena, only to be stopped by Raina

"Mum want me to go inside some boring construction called museum, or waste my time reading boring books instead of having fun. Please tell her that this is not fair!"

"Raina need a proper education. She slacked off since we departed from our home planet." countered Lena. Kelly simply sighted. A small, almost playful sight

"This is the problem? In that case I have already the solution." answered Kelly. The girl quickly opened her omni-tool, revealing a small folder. "You see, during my research for an interesting place where to pass my shore leave I found a little something." The folder opened itself, revealing a brochure of a recreation center. "From kid-friendly games to adult gathering posts, everything that weary star sailors like us need! I was thinking to go there myself, but going alone is such a bore. How about you come with me?"

Lena's and Raina's shocked expressions were as clear as a thunderbolt

"You and I? Together? But...but why?" confusion washed Lena's feature like a rain "It is your chance of having fun! Why should we ruin it by coming with you?"

"You will not ruin it." Kelly had expected this answer. She had hoped until the end to not hear it, but still expected it. "You still refuse to accept it but some people, me included, see you as an interesting and good person. One I am happy to call friend. And what friends do together? They go out and have a good time."

-And also because my hope is to finally crack that stubborn shell of yours, and this is hopefully the best way to do it.- added Kelly to herself, but refused to say it out loud.

"So, here is the deal: we finish breakfast, clean up a bit and then we go all together to this center and we have a full day of fun."

"But." tried to counter Lena once again

"And" Kelly immediately stopped her "Tomorrow we all go to some educational center with Raina. Pleasure followed by duty. Does this look fine to both of you?"

Lena's reaction at these words managed to raise both of Kelly's eyebrows but, truth to be told, Kelly had no idea just how deep were Lena's scar when it come to simple, social life. The Claymore was sweating bullets at this point, desperately trying to find something, anything to say!

Yes?! No?! Maybe? Is Kelly truly a friend? What a friend is supposed to do anyway?

Friendship. What does it mean having a friend? Is Kelly a friend? She liked talking with Kelly, she liked her in a way that she never felt with anyone. Not even with Raina or Anastasia.

She simply enjoyed being with her! Hearing her calm, soothing voice even during the long, boring therapy session, seeing her beautiful smile or hearing her talking about stupid and funny tales of old. Goddesses, Lena still remembered the time when they chatted together next to a steamy cup of hot chocolate, talking about everything and nothing; or when they wasted an entire hour looking for the perfect book for her. She remembered the laughters, and the warm sensation coursing through her body.

But going outside with her was simply ludicrous! What was she supposed to do with her? Talking about swords?

"Mum" Raina's voice brought Lena back on the ship "Please, let's do this. Tomorrow i will follow you inside any kind of educational center you desire, but for today let just have some fun, please!"

This was the last nail of the coffin for Lena. The girl felt the last remnants of her defenses breaking down, leaving her exposed for the killing blow.

"Then, I accept your offer, Kelly." capitulated Lena

"Excellent." beamed Kelly alongside Raina "Have to go now, have to prepare."

Kelly quickly rose up from her seat and moved toward the exit of the mess hall

"See you at eight!" shouted just before disappearing.

"Amazing!" said Raina to her mother, her unhappiness gone. "We are going to have so much fun, mom!"

"Yes, yes." commented Lena absentmindedly. "It will be….fun, I guess."

The poor Claymore was still trying to wrap her head about this new challenge, one that scared her more than fighting against an abyssal by herself. Privately she wondered if it would have been better to follow Shepard and forget about holidays.

* * *

 **Illium. Financial district. 8 49 local hour**

"So...this is where Liara currently live?" asked Garrus to Shepard

"Live and work. Apparently she is now some kind of information broker." answered Shepard. "Come on, let's go and greet her."

"Wonder why she decided to leave her old job in exchange for this." quipped Tali behind them "I do not understand the reasons behind it."

The building in question was a tall, metallic compound packed to the brim with offices of various kind. Here both freelancers and normal employees milled, worked and talked about the most important resource of the universe: intel.

"We shall ask her. Come on now, we have a job to do."

The group quickly entered inside the building. Truth to be told, it was quite a spartan place: a small, waiting room covered mostly with metal chairs and a ledger showing the name of any employee, be it freelancer or not, and where to find them, two elevators and a set of stairs.

They quickly found Liara's name on the ledger and moved toward the elevator, silently waiting to arrive. It took less than a minute to reach their friend's office, the last one to the left of a short corridor, and the entire group bolted toward the door. Finally they were able to see once again their shy and adorable asari friend, and maybe

"What happen if you do not pay the debt? Simple, I will flay you alive." the voice of Liara echoed outside the small door of her office, stopping Shepard's group on their track for a second. This was Liara's voice! It was impossible to mistake it, they all knew it quite well!

"Have you ever fought against an Asari Commando?" continued Liara's voice "Few survive. They can rip any enemy apart with their power. Do you wish to meet them?"

Garrus and Shepard looked at each other, flabbergasted. Had they somehow ended up in the wrong office?

Cautiously, they reached the doors of the office and peeked inside.

Their eyes looked at the silhouette of one, single Asari. Young, dressed in a green, expensive dress and looking at the hololitic image of a human male. The body, the face, the green, vibrant eyes...everything screamed at Shepard and his squad the word Liara! Even the way she moved across the small office while talking; the same unsure and sharp movements….but the words. Good lord, the words!

Shepard finally decided to act: he opened the door and lightly knocked on the wall.

The reaction was immediate: the Asari turned her head, and Shepard and his squad finally managed to see the full face of their dear friend, Liara T'soni. The young Asari's face looked at the new comers and beamed in happiness, the discussion with the human already forgotten

"Shepard! Garrus! Tali!" shouted Liara with joy. The man on the channel protested for this sudden intrusion, but Liara simply ended the transmission and quickly bolted toward Shepard.

They embraced each other, two lost friend that are finally back together, and for some seconds no one dared to break the moment.

"I am so happy to see you once again, all of you!" Whispered Liara, breaking the silence. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, little archeologist." replied Shepard "It has been a while since our last meeting."

Liara immediately freed some spaces for Shepard and his squad, allowing them to be more at ease.

They went on for minutes, both Shepard's squad and Liara, all of them too busy remembering the past, soaking in the sensation of being together once again.

It took a great deal of willpower to break the spell.

"Shepard." Liara was the first one that managed to do such a feat "So the mail was true, they did the impossible. But this also mean."

"That I am here for work, yes." finished Shepard for her "No rest for the wicked, even the resurrected ones."

Liara simply smirked and moved back to her desk, grabbing a small data-pad from one drawer.

"You haven't changed one bit. Here are the informations about your first target, the Justicar Samara. Assuming they have not already detained her, you should find her in this district."

"Detained?" asked Garrus "Is she a wanted criminal."

"No Garrus, quite the contrary." Liara's mouth twitched, unsure about how to answer "Justicars are...well, they are an ancient order of peacekeepers. They serve as judge, jury and executioner and are ruthless followers of the Asari law, as prescribed by their ancient code." a sight escaped from the maiden's lips "And here lies the problem: followers of the Asari law. If a Justicar kill an Asari inside our space no one will bat an eyelid, but Illium is not a planet of the Asari republic! Do you have any idea about the scandal that will invest this planet if a Justicar kill a non-asari during her quest? And they will kill any wrongdoers they see, their code compel them to do this!"

"Charming fellow." commented Garrus "Wonder what would happen if we place her in the same room with Jack."

"Don't even think about it." retorted Tali "Last thing I need is a firefight inside my engineering bay."

"I understand." said Shepard "Still, I have to try and recruit her. About the other? Thane?"

"Still nothing. This Drell is more slippery than an eel, but." Liara waved her hand and clicked something "Done, I temporarily deactivated the bugs infesting my office."

"They are spying you!?" asked Tali, her voice echoing everyone's surprise. Yet it was even more surprising seeing her friend Liara merely sighting at their dismay.

"Tali, this is Illium: even public bathrooms are controlled by spy drones. Now Shepard, we need to talk about one of your crew-members. The one called the Ripper."

"Lena? What is the problem with her?" Asked Shepard, but the commander already suspected what was about to listen.

"Her uniqueness is her problem! She appeared two years ago inside the arenas of Omega, brought by an unknown slaver, and in less than a month she destroyed every theory about genetic manipulation. These qualities tend to attract a lot of attention: the Black watch, the council of Matriarchs, the STG, the Batarian secret service, even your Alliance tried over and over again to abduct or simply contact her, but the queen of Omega personally made sure to stamp out every single attempt."

"But now she is away from Omega." concluded Tali for them "Away from her protector."

"We always jumped from mission to mission, until now." added Garrus "This probably saved us for receiving a lot of unwanted attention, but now we are stuck here for at least five days. A golden opportunity."

"Exactly guys. She is far from Aria's domain, ready for anyone to pick her up. Yesterday, a video clip showing the Ripper fighting Eclipse sisters inside the factory district was leaked out by an unknown source, and just today I received sixty requests of information about her, sixty requests! From the lowest pharmaceutical company to the most infamous Batarian Slave lord; all asking about her whereabouts, favorites hanging places or potential weak points. Illium is heating up Shepard, so you better be quick with your business and be done with this planet before you burn your hands."

Shepard's hands moved almost automatically toward his omni-tool after hearing the warning. Today was Lena's day off, he knew it very well; he also knew that dear old Lena had a lot of plans in mind, and she would not respond well to a forced retirement inside the ship. But the danger of being hunted down by an army of bounty hunters was a tangible one.

"How long before they begin the dance?" asked Shepard to Liara

"One day, at least. They need to gather some intel before striking."

-One day.- thought Shepard -Just one, at best.-

"Liara, we need to go. If what you said about the Justicar is true we need to go now and Lena never bring her omni-tool with her so who know where she is right now. Can I ask you to keep an eye at this situation for today?"

"Of course Shepard!" answered Liara without hesitation "I will keep you in touch in cause of trouble."

"Trouble for the would be kidnappers, not Lena." quipped Garrus, but Shepard was not so sure this time "That human is a beast! I wonder how someone like her would spend her free time."

* * *

 **Harmony Park. Same moment**

Twach twach twach twach twach.

The sound of five plasteel knife hitting the intended targets echoed inside the small joust like many, precise shots. The aim was perfect, the balance even more, and the Turian carny almost forgot how to speak for a second.

It is not every day you find someone that absolutely own your joust.

"Five out of five!" He managed to regain the composure in the end "Here are the premium tickets champion, you deserve them!"

Giddy hands grabbed the small stripes of paper handed by the carny, adding them to an ever growing pile resting inside Kelly's hands.

"This is amazing! I didn't know you were such a kill shot with knives and balls, Lena!"

"Kill shots!? This exercise is ridiculous! How people manage to fail to hit such easy targets is beyond me!"

"Shooting galleries are a time-honored carousel, not some training grounds Lena. Loosen up a bit girl, do like your daughter."

-Maybe I should, but I do not see how.- thought Lena. -And it is a shame, because this place truly deserve it.-

This recreation park, this place found by Kelly, was break taking! Lena had to give the organizers that: contained inside a massive, at least five square-miles long building entirely made of reflective glass; the fair itself accommodated more than one hundreds jousts, from the smallest booths to gargantuan-sized ones, one more colorful of insane than the other. Sure, some of the names were absolutely ridiculous, like The house of horrors, the lover's walk, the hellish ride, but the show they offered, even by the outside, was downright impressive and that was enough for her.

The place itself never felt claustrophobic: the bright, immaculate windows alongside with the colorful floorings and the well designed road system allowed the teeming masses of people to move from one joust to another without much of a problem, and the place itself was not solely dedicated to games and recreation. Restaurants, public bathrooms, bars, everything a family would need after a day of hard entertainment was here, ready to be used.

Truly a logistical and architectonical marvel to behold.

Raina was having the time of her life! This strange indoor fairground was packed to the brim with candy stores, toy stores and dozens upon dozens of strange games, mostly designed for children like her. Cars crashing, whack-a-mole, shooting galleries, card games, Raina eagerly tried everything with alternating luck. She laughed, she got upset, she did everything a child would do inside a luna park. Already a giant teddy bear rested inside her arms, a hard earned trophy gained after twenty minutes of hard games against five others children in a game called swan fishing, and she was just getting started.

Lena, on the other hand, played only a couple of games, mostly the ones revolving shooting and throwing and only because Kelly practically sweet talked her into doing so. Of course being a Claymore, she utterly thrashed them.

"The games are too easy for me, Kelly." countered Lena "If Raina is having fun, then I am already satisfied."

"Oh no no no, Lena! I will not accept this answer. You are looking for a difficult joust? I already know where to go. Raina, there is a little carousel that I am sure your mother will enjoy. Mind if you watch us for a second?"

Raina's eyes lightened in the prospective, her own amusement temporarily forgotten

"Yes! Let's do it mum!"

Lena groaned softly but decided to comply, and simply followed the giddy pair. Kelly brought them inside a more separate place of the fair, one devoid of any common joust or vendor. It had to be empty, because the joust in front of them was enormous.

A massive metal construction shaped as a square, at least five meters tall and totally devoid of both roof or floor presented itself in front of the girls. Thick, black metal columns were the framework of this construction, four for every angle, with a lone one right at the center. From the summit of this central column, like strings of a massive cobweb, dozens of small metal pipes branched themselves all over the floor less building, creating a strange, twisting route that covered the entirety of the floor less building. Every pipe ended its strange journey next to a platform reachable only thanks to a small elevator, one placed next to the girls at this point and built on the right angle of this strange joust. From this platform many couples a handful of couples waited their turn for….

Lena blinked her eyes several times, incapable of believing in what she was seeing: couples of every age, sex and race were trying to move toward the center of the construction, using the slippery steel pipes as roads!

Old, young, human, asari, turian, even Hanar; they all tried to move across the pipes in a desperate effort to reach the central column! And after a more accurate viewing Lena noticed that the couples's knees were also tied together with rope!

What. The. Hell.

"Amazing, isn't it? It is a Turian game: you need to reach the center of the place with your mate and go back to the starting place, all while having your left knee tied with the one of your companion. Incredibly difficult, but incredibly rewarding: there are at least forty premium tickets."

"Premium tickets? And about this joust, what if some one lose his footing? They can easily break their necks!" asked Lena, looking at the ten colorful stripes she and Kelly had received by the carnies after one hour of succesful carousing

"They are used to reclaim special prizes of the fair. Some are simple gifts like books, toys and stuff like that, but the most expensive ones can be holidays in famous places, precious piece of jewelry and much, much more! A way to entice people to play as much as possible. About the joust, a powerful mass effect field is ready to pick anyone that fall."

As if called by Kelly's words, a young asari followed by her Salarian mate tripped halfway through the route, loosing their footing and falling to their apparent death. Not a second it passed that a blue, shimmering field wrapped the falling couple like a shroud, drastically slowing the fall to almost nothing. Once reaching the floor a pair of attendants scrambled toward the couple and freed their knees, letting them go.

Both the Salarian and the Asari looked unharmed. Tired sure, and annoyed by their defeat but still fine.

A trustworthy safety mechanism, and an exercise that looked like it could prove a small amount of challenge, and yet Lena was still unconvinced about this.

-If Kelly think that she is ready for this kind of training then she is a hopeless optimistic.-

"I am not sure."

Kelly refused to have any of it

"Told you already! I refuse to hear more excuses. Raina, there is a small clearance next to the lift where children can safely wait and look. Go there and wait for us. You, with me."

Lena felt Kelly's hand grabbing her arm and literally drag the poor Claymore toward the joust. Truth to be told, Lena could have quickly stopped Kelly in her track if she so desired, but refused to do so.

-Fine! Let's play along.- thought the Claymore -Let's see what happen.-

At worst, this will be a good lesson in humility for Kelly

"Two tickets please." said Kelly to a jolly and pudgy Turian, the ticket seller of this joust.

"Two tickets for the young couple!" boomed the Turian "Good luck."

Lena almost chocked on her own breath after haring this, something that made Kelly smile

"Just play along Lena, it will be fun!" she whispered.

The wait was short, few people dared to try such a difficult joust and the ones who tried tended to fall quite quickly, and so Kelly and Lena had to wait only five minutes before their turn. A lift brought the nervous couple up to the starting blocks, where an attendant linked Lena's left knee with Kelly's right knee using a long, syntetic-made rope.

"The rules are simple: reach the center, grab the basked and come back here. You must do it together and you cannot break the rope. Good luck."

The tone of the attendant was strict and professional, and so were his movements.

The Claymore gazed with clinical eye at the path in front of her: steel pipes, roughly built and with circular shape. Immaculate, as far as she could see, and wide enough for her to move without falling down; if you learn to run atop a strand of hair, like Lena did with her companions while training with Anastasia, then simple pipes stop being a problem.

The true problem rested in Kelly's abilities, or lack thereof!

The first step proved Lena's fears: Kelly took the lead the moment their knees were tied together, placed her right foot at the center of the starting pipe...and almost dragged her and Lena into the oblivion after immediately losing her balance. Only Lena's prodigious strength stopped the inevitable, and just barely.

"Kelly, this is not a joke." huffed Lena "It took months for me to learn how to maintain my balance while running across a tightrope. Now listen: place your right foot exactly at the center of the pipe, then drag the rest of your body onward. You must be quick! Slowly trying to find the perfect spot will only make you fall faster. And don't overstep. Keep one hand always on my shoulder, I will be your wall."

"Ok...ok." answered Kelly, all her eagerness of before gone from her voice, replaced by nervousness, a little hint of fear and a massive dose of adrenaline.

And so the slow crawl toward the objective began. Kelly followed Lena's advice in the earnest and moved with the agility and grace of a snail. Step after step, the girl moved across the main pipe, barely managing to keep her balance and only thanks to her companion.

"Still having fun?" taunted Lena after ten minutes of agonizingly slow crawl

"Are you kidding?" Kelly's voice was a hoarse whisper, barely audible even for Lena. And yet even now the Claymore could sense the excitement leaking out from Kelly's voice, like a crack in a dam.

"This sensation is...incredible!"

Lena scoffed at this but refused to comment.

And so they continued moving. Slowly, carefully, still on the track only thanks to Lena's amazing strength.

"You are doing fine, Kelly. Keep it up." whispered Lena behind the girl. Truth to be told, Kelly was moving with all the elegance and quickness of a snail, but the Claymore simply could not bring herself to say this to her.

Unlike her, Kelly was sweating hard and quickly losing her focus. She was not used to all of this as she had already predicted. Still, a massive grin refused to leave the girl's face and judging by her expression she was having the fun of her life.

"Amazing, I feel so light! I feel.."

Right in that moment the girl's focus slipped and her left foot met the void instead of the metal pipe. The girl cried and fell into the void, screaming wildly and grabbing Lena in a desperate attempt of stopping the inevitable! Surprised, the Claymore felt her own balance shattering under the weight and followed the girl, dragged by the blasted rope tying them together. They fell, but just a second before it was too late Lena's body moved like a snake and grabbed Kelly's flaying body with her right arm, all while keeping a steel grip on the pipe with the left, refusing to let it go no matter what.

All the watcher beneath them launched shouts of surprise, and many grabbed their omni-tools while activating their cameras, eager to see the next move.

Not that Lena could have cared less at this point. She was too busy trying to not lose the grip.

"Kelly!" hissed the Claymore. Lena knew that she had to move fast. Even her yoki infused body could not last for long under such a pressure. Her eyes were already golden with yoki, and her arms two times bigger and still she felt the bones creaking "Grab my arm and don't move."

"What?" asked the girl "What are you doing? Just leave the grip and let the machine work!"

But Lena ignored her. Surrendering was not in her blood.

Yoki flooded the Claymore's arms like a raging river, granting her strength beyond human understanding. With this newfound strength Lena lashed her arms with a movement that would have shattered human bones, forcing Kelly's and her own body to raise from the abyss like a rock from a slingshot. Kelly yelped in surprise when all of a sudden the girl's world turned upside down; the girl saw the steel pipe moving toward her at frightening speed and for a second she almost lost her grip on Lena

"Grab the pipe." Ordered Lena. This order snapped Kelly's stupor just in time. Two trembling hands left the Claymore and coiled themselves like snakes on the pipe. She was still in danger of failing, but now instead of dangling into the abyss by a thread she was back on the pipes, both her arms and legs tightly enveloped around their frame.

"Good! Now." another lash, this time with both arms and legs, and Lena's frame flied in the air, pushing herself upward with her now improved strength and endurance.

Under them the crowd roared in surprise, and a forests of cameras sprung into life, all recording this amazing deed.

This push brought Lena back to solid ground and, unlike Kelly, her arms quickly allowed her to climb her way back to the pipes. A second later Lena also helped Kelly to get back into solid ground.

The crown beneath them cheered at the sight, drowning their voices for a second

"Wow...that...was" wheezed Kelly weakly

"Stupid." ended Lena for her. She was also tired after this feat. Tired and annoyed "Time to do this joust my way!"

"What do you meaaaah!"

Kelly immediately felt a pair of strong hands gently but firmly grabbing her body, lifting her as if she was made of feathers. Her legs flayed wildly, her eyes looked at the floor trying to understand what the hell was happening. She could do nothing: it was too dangerous to struggle and, even if she could, to what end? Lena overpowered her in every single way, and she was so tired.

Lena's hands quickly lifted Kelly from the ground, placing her small frame on the Claymore's chest, like a groom carrying her spouse.

"The rules says nothing about carrying the partner, right?" asked the Claymore

"W-well no!"

"Then let's go!" cut the Claymore

Finally free to move, Lena darted toward the objective. She easily moved through the pipes as if they were under solid, hard ground. Step by step, jump by jump, Lena covered the distance between them and the basket in less than two minutes, and without even breaking a sweat.

"Take the basket, Kelly." simply said the Claymore once reaching the end of the pipes. A stunned Kelly simply complied.

"Good, now let's go back."

The trip back, unsurprisingly, proved to be a cake walk for Lena, that simply hopped her way until the starting point, where a wall of omni-tools and people greeted the pair.

"Amazing, ladies and gentlemen!" boomed the Turian the moment Lena arrived "The first winner of this year! The prize is yours, young couple. You deserve it." A shower of cries and praises hit the girls like a tidal wave, temporarily deafening Lena to such an extent that she even failed to notice Raina jumping at her for a moment, and wrapping her little arms around her small frame.

"That was….amazing." whispered Kelly to Lena some seconds later, her face red and flushed. "But now I feel so tired."

"Because you are not used to this. If you wish to continue this exercise, I will gladly help recreate it back at the Normandy."

"That is….not the point." huffed Kelly "But you are right in one thing: I am tired. Maybe we should rest for a bit."

* * *

 **Illium. 9 37 local hour. Spaceport district**

-This was not supposed to happen.- growled Shepard quietly all while moving toward the detective. It was supposed to be a simple mission: reach the location, find the Justicar and try to recruit her into the crew. If she accept, is all fine; if she doesn't, well at least they tried.

Instead what they found once reaching the spaceport district was a heavily guarded checkpoint blocking half of the district!

Normally, Shepard would have simply let out his specter's credentials and be done with it, but the Justicar's arrival had rattled so much the local police that the girls manning the checkpoint outright refused to let Shepard pass, telling him to go and talk to a detective called Anaya if he truly wanted to enter inside the district. Judging by the small crown of disgruntled people, especially the fat and nervous Volus currently talking with said detective, they were not the only one locked in this predicament.

"I told you Pitne For: no one can go until our business is done." Said the asari detective, annoyance dripping from every single word.

"But -hss- the Justicar! -hss- They say that -hss- she kills people -hss- and I have -hss- a business to -hss- conduct."

"The Justicars kills only criminals. If you are innocent, then you are fine." replied the detective. This time her tone was definitive. The Volus still tried to protest, but this time the Asari merely scoffed at him and moved away from the pudgy creature, annoyed.

Just in time to see Shepard moving toward her

"Detective Anaya?" simply asked Shepard

"Nice guns." replied the detective. Her eyes quickly scanned the incoming group, smelling the thick scent of incoming trouble "Any chance you are gonna use them inside my district?"

"Are there Eclipse soldiers inside your district? If so, I fear the answer is yes." replied Shepard

The detective scoffed at this

"Great! First a Justicar and then a Specter. And here I thought this day would have been boring. Detective Anaya, specter. Pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise. Tell me detective: is the Justicar's arrival the reason you blocked the entire district?"

"Got it right, specter. Yes, the Justicar entered inside the district two hours ago, looking for information about a dangerous criminal. According to my informants the Eclipse decided to protect said criminal instead of cooperating, so I suspect they are all dead at this point. I am under order to detain her and I decided to do once she is done with the Eclipse."

"But a Justicar is a peacekeeper like you!" quipped Garrus confused "Why detaining her?"

Anaya snorted at this remark

"Would you look at that! It seems that everyone in this cursed rock know about a Justicar's behavior apparently, even alien, but there is a problem: this planet thrive on commerce, and traders are attracted by peaceful places that shows to possess a fairly lax view of the law. Unfortunately Justicar are quite stringent when it come to enforcing order and justice, and having a fanatical trigger happy vigilante freely moving in the streets tend to scare away a lot of customers." a tired groan escaped from the detective's lips "That is why they ordered me to detain her, a death sentence considering just how powerful a Justicar can be."

"Suicidal orders should not be obeyed." stated Shepard

"Oh really Shepard?" Garrus simply could not let this opportunity slip by "Maybe I should tell this to Lena next time you order her to charge an entire army of Collector, armed only with a sword."

"Hey! I tell her to do so because I know she will survive." complained Shepard. A hearty laughter was the only answer he received

"Whatever! Maybe I can help you detective. I need the recruit the Justicar for a mission that will bring me far away from Illium. Let me talk with her and maybe I will deal with your problem."

Anaya's face darkened, her sharp mind busy considering Shepard's proposal. She quietly swore in her native language, probably cursing her current predicament and wishing her thrice damned idiots of her superiors could be here on her place instead of having the time of their life inside some extra-comfy offices, dealing with messes like this.

"This is highly unprofessional specter, and against my superior's decision that want her detained for good and not simply away, but I know your reputation, human. I will tell my girls to let you pass and, who know, maybe you will manage to convince the Justicar to follow you. They are drawn toward suicidal quests after all."

"My thanks detective. I will do whatever I can to help you with this problem."

"Yes, yes." huffed the detective "Just go and do your trick, specter. The sooner you are done with her the better."

* * *

 **Illium. Premium pavilion. 10 02 a.m.**

There is a fable back on her island, one quite known among both bards and grandparents. This story begin with a poor peddler that want to marry a princess. Desperate to gain enough money to buy a nobiliary title, the peddler toil day and night inside a forest. He gather firewood, herbs, hunting meat, anything that could give him a profit but it is never enough. Until one day he spot the bandits.

That day, while working like usual, the peddler saw a bunch of bandits carrying sacks full of treasures. His avidity overcoming the sense of danger, the peddler stealthily followed the bandits until they reached a cave closed by a boulder, a boulder moved thanks to the use of a magic word.

A few hours later, when the bandits moved away, the peddler tried the magic word and the doors opened for him, revealing the most dazzling hoard ever seen by human eyes.

Lena knew about this fable, and remembered the words used by the bards to describe this marvelous cave filled with every kind of earthly delight.

And now the personification of said cave was in front of her, ready to be plundered.

"Amazing!" muttered both Kelly and Raina next to her "There is literally everything someone could even ask here, and we have more than sixty premium tickets to use."

Both the girls were looking with mesmerizing eyes at the treasure trove in front of her: from simple games and books to tickets for the most exotics places in the galaxy. From simple tools to the keys for a cutting-edge flying machine. Sweets and jewelry, tools and baubles! The pavilion where they currently were was ready to grant them whatever their hearts desired.

"Ladies, let's start looking." said Lena to the others. This was all that Kelly and Raina needed. The girls bolted toward the center of the pavilion, eagerly surveying the place for the best pieces, their eagerness one of a trained hunting wolfhound.

Truth to be told, Lena felt no desire toward acquiring any kind of gifts: there was nothing that the Claymore wanted here, no weapons, no armors, no tomes talking about any potential enemies, nothing worth claiming. She was more than fine to let Raina monopolize her part of premium tickets and leave the other half, twenty five tickets, to Kelly. She was already satisfied with the looks of joy plastered across her daughter's face.

"Look mum, a portable puzzle of ten thousand pieces! And a giant bag full of sweets! And look at this one! Amazing! Amazing!"

beamed Raina. The child kept jumping and hopping from from board to board like a small rabbit. She touched, appraised, tested and looked at half of the prizes standing inside the pavilion, her mind reeling at the abundance placed in front of her.

Unlike her, Kelly already knew what to take, and quickly asked for two specific objects: some kind of membership pass for goddesses know what kind of magazine and a masterfully crafted marble statuette depicting some kind of four legged creature. Not everything she wanted, at least judging by the quick glances aimed toward others prizes.

"Interesting choices Kelly." commented Lena

"I like small sculptures, and a five years membership to this magazine is something that I wanted to have for a long time. Look like Raina also found what she wanted."

Kelly was right: in Raina's small, overburdened hands now rested the fruits of her decisions. A puzzle, a necklace and what looked like a book of fables called The 1001 most famous fables of all the Citadel's races.

"What about you Lena? Nothing at all?" enquired Kelly, looking at Lena's empty hands. The Claymore chuckled lightly at this

"I am fine."

"You said the same days ago when I proposed you to find a good book to read, and look how it ended. Here." Kelly's hands grabbed what was left of her share of her premium tickets, eight of them and gave them to Lena

"Take something for yourself, ok?"

Before Lena could even react Raina reached her from behind, showing proudly her choices. On her hands rested other tickets, seven in total.

Fifteen tickets. Just the necessary number for one specific item.

"Fine. Raina, give me your remaining tickets please."

Lena moved toward the center of the pavilion, where the most expensive gifts were stored. Here a pair of tear shaped silver earring quietly waited for someone to take them. So flawless was the silver that they shined like stars under the weak lights of the pavilion, and on a closer inspection Lena saw intricate carvings across the small surface of the jewels, carving shaped in the image of gentle tides.

Unlike the earring crafted back on her island, the locking mechanism proved to be a small clip instead of a hook. Probably in favor of earless species.

A marvel of jewel crafting; a marvel that costed exactly fifteen tickets.

Lena quickly unlocked the glass protecting such costly item and grabbed the earrings, admiring once again their craftsmanship.

"You told me to take something, and so I did." stated Lena with a plain tone. The Claymore nimbly moved toward Kelly, a small smile creeping across her face "But the object I took for me." swift fingers unclasped the small clip, attaching the earrings to Kelly's ears. The girl squealed weakly when Lena's gentle hands touched her ears.

"Is a gift from me to you."

Kelly stuttered for a second. Her hand hesitantly moved toward the earrings; touching them, feeling the cold silver under her fingers. She tried to say something, anything to Lena, but words failed her for almost a minute.

"L-Lena I….i cannot accept….this is..." she finally managed to spit it out

"A gift from me to you. A thank you gift for this amazing holiday, and for everything you have done for us." finished Lena for her "A gift given cannot be returned."

-Just what the hell are you thinking!- boomed Kelly's voice inside her head, not daring to chastise Lena out in the open -A thank you gift? These earrings are worth a month of my salary at least! And you are just… handing them to me while saying such words!-

The girl grazed the earrings with her fingers, almost fearing to have them disappear like the mist during dawn. So beautiful, so polished, like the jewels of a queen. Kelly wanted to cry and squeal in joy, to bow in front of Lena's generosity.

"Woow!"exclaimed Raina next to her "You are so beautiful now, Kelly. Like a princess."

"….Girls, you are incredible." whispered Kelly back, her face as red as a tomato at this point.

"But you still disobeyed me Lena. I told you to take something for yourself."

"And I told you that I do not need anything. A single dress and my weapon is all that I need." replied Lena laconically "The rest are just embellishments."

These words stopped Kelly right on her track. The girl's mind moved back in time, when she took care of Raina while Lena languished inside the ship's infirmary. How many dresses were present inside their room? Two? One?

If Kelly was right, then this was truly an emergency.

"Lena." asked Kelly quietly, still refusing to believe in what she was thinking "You only have one dress? One standard uniform from the ship?"

"Yes! Two dresses for Raina, one for me and my armor to be more precise. Why?" asked Lena, unsure about this sudden change of behavior.

Kelly's face after hearing this answer was something to behold: a complete amalgamation of surprise, incredulity and rage washed the girl's lineament, twisting them in a way that scared the usually stoic Claymore.

"Only two dresses. Only two dress?! You have one million credits and the both of you still live like a couple of bloody hermits!" Kelly's voice was a roar of rage, a booming sound that made Raina yelp in surprise and fear.

Just what was the problem?

"Kelly, just what are you" tried to say Lena, but the girl immediately stopped her

"Ok girls! Change of plan: we go dress shopping and we go immediately. Follow me."

-Dress shopping?- asked Lena to herself -Is she joking? Or what?-

"Mum, why should we go and buy another dress? Ours are still fine." asked Raina, confused by all of this.

Lena tried to answer but just in that moment Kelly grabbed both Lena and Raina's arms and showed both girls away from the pavilion, dragging them toward a cab.

* * *

 **1 part of the second day done. Hopefully is something decent and yes! When I said that the Illium arc will be long I truly meant it.**

 **About the dresses's part, during the medieval time owning more than three, four dresses was something common only for certain classes of society. Doubt a Claymore is one of them in Yagi's universe.**

 **See you next time pals!**


	18. Chapter 14-1 Illium 2 day

**Chapter 15**

 **Yes. I did it. I started checking my previous works, connected some dots and decided that the part when Lena let T'Von survive**

 **1) changed nothing in the plot. Nothing major.**

 **2) made no actual sense**

 **Believe it or not, I read the reviews and messages I receive. I have only the small, little problem of having a life to manage in the meantime. In the future, I will also try to take a look at the other chapters BUT I will not change the main plot. That one is already set in stone.**

 **Apart from that, have a good day**

 **Illium. Eclipse holdout. 11 02 local hours.**

"Keelah! This is a slaughter."

"Spirits! And I have to believe she did all of this mess by herself!?"

Shepard remained quiet, but even he was surprised by the amount of carnage and destruction his eyes were witnessing.

When Anaya's colleagues allowed both him and his group to bypass the blockade, Shepard had expected to face stiff resistance and constant gunfighting from the entrance to the heart of the Eclipse's base. They were fighting, after all, a single enemy Justicar or not, and Eclipse's bases were known to be packed full with squads of soldiers. From the lowliest grunts to the most elites commandos.

But no one tried to stop them. Not a single shot was fired toward their group. No biotic attacks, no turrets spewing bullets, nothing. Only an eerie silence.

The place itself was not a fortress by any stretch: a simple hab-block bought by the Eclipse who knows how many years ago and repurposed as barracks and warehouse for their operation. It was nothing more than a steel paved road flanked on both sides by metal buildings devoid of any entrance barring a circular door. Everything was sleek, relatively clean and adorned only by wall-mounted terminals and the occasional painting on the walls.

It felt almost homey. Almost.

Of course, the recent bullet holes riddling the place removed part of the charm.

Unnerved by this unexpected welcome, Shepard and his companions immediately readied their weapons, expecting to suffer an ambush. They inspected every single crevice and any black spot they could find inside this small cluster of houses. It was during this inspection that they found the first corpses.

Scattered everywhere, their bones snapped under massive pressures and their weapons uselessly laying next to them.

Tali was the first to spot them and the sight was enough to make the young engineer recoil in disgust. They were all Eclipse warrior, that was clear thanks to the symbol adorning what was left of their broken armours. Expressions of pure pain lie frozen on their faces, and most of their limbs had been twisted in impossible ways, but that was not the worst of it. According to Shepard's scans, most of the Eclipse soldiers had been killed by biotic attacks so powerful that they warped the molecule inside their bodies. An alarm bell immediately rang inside Shepard's mind: he knew only one person capable of doing such a feat, Jack, and even she could barely do this.

He still remembered that time when she used a similar attack against the beast on New Horizon that almost skewered Lena in half. He also remembered to have seen the biotic prodigy collapse under a puddle of sweat and curses a second later, all her reserves spent in that blow.

But here, in this forsaken place of Illium, the Justicar appeared to have performed this feat repeatedly, and without any collateral effects.

-Just how powerful is she?- he asked to no one in particular.

"How many for now?" simply asked Shepard to his team

"Twelve," answered Garrus grimly. No jokes escaped from his old Turian pal, and this was not a good sign. When the joker of the squad became serious, you know shit is about to hit the fan.

"Half soldiers and engineers, the rest commandos. Shepard, what are we supposed to do if she decides that we are also enemies?"

"Let's cross that bridge when we find it," answered Shepard trying to ease the tension. Judging by the Turian's frown it failed at doing so.

"Here! More of them!" told them Tali. She was a bit forward compared to Shepard and Garrus but still within earshot "Five. All commandos. Dead just like the others."

"Standard tactical procedure among Eclipse is to fill their divide their organic in small cells, at most twenty soldiers each. A way to be more flexible in battle," told them Garrus, tapping into his knowledge of mercenaries' custom gained on Omega after some seconds of ruminating.

"Don't they have a way to quickly call back up?" asked Tali "They are getting slaughtered here!"

"They have, but maybe the police stopped them. Or maybe..." Garrus's mandibles twitched unsure for a second "Maybe the fame of this Justicar is so mighty and widespread among the Asari that the other cells refused to come and help them. Remember what Liara and the commissar told us?"

"You mean the part about being absolute judges of the Asari people and so respected that they can kill whoever they want without repercussion?"

Shepard still refused to believe that such an advanced and cultured like the Asari could maintain such a strange and barbarous order, but he had to give Garrus some credit. A destroyed base, bodies everywhere, god only knows how much merchandise lost, and still, no other cells tried to help them?

Difficult to believe, especially knowing the Eclipse.

"Exactly!" chirped Garrus "Somehow this Asari must have spooked the higher-ups of the Eclipse so much that they decided to simply let her slaughter an entire cell, and lose their assets, rather than putting her down."

Garrus's eyes wandered temporarily into nothingness, his mind busy thinking about what he just said

"Wonder why this particular cell still decided to help the Justicar's fugitive."

"Just what in the ancestor's name is a Justicar if she can command such respect?" muttered Tali grimly.

"Quiet you two now." hissed Shepard. "We are reaching the end of the base and my Omni-tool is receiving some signals. Someone at the end of the building complex is still fighting."

"What's left of the Eclipse cell probably," commented Garrus

"Let's move and intercept. Double time." Ordered Shepard

-And let's hope that we shall not end like them.- quietly added on his mind

* * *

 **Illium's commercial district. Same moment**

"I cannot believe it that you managed to drag us into all of this."

"Chill out Lena. It was fun, and now you will finally stop resembling a drifter."

"And what is wrong about being a drifter? I swear you people are strange sometimes."

"Mum! This stuff is heavy, and do we have enough space inside the room? I do not want to leave Mr fluffy, the puzzle or the book we just won!"

"We will not. Do not worry!"

The small figure of Raina huffed unsurely but refused to replicate and simply accompanied her mother. She instead decided to play with her giant teddy bear for Lena's relief. Not that she hated speaking with Raina but right now she was too busy trying to not topple the mountain of dresses placed on her hands.

Lena still could not believe it! When Kelly abruptly decided to drag both her and Raina to what she thought would have been a tailor shop, the Claymore had already decided to simply buy the first outfit she saw and be done with this charade. Unfortunately, Kelly had other plans and hauled the couple inside what only could be described as a palace! -No other word could be used to truly describe the massive outlet found by Kelly- and forcing her to come inside. The palace, she learned this only later, was the main seat of a prominent fashion firm of Illium. Packed to the brim with dozens of smaller outlets selling every possible dress known in the galaxy, the place was in the Claymore's eyes a monument to decadence and insanity. Silk dresses that would have made the greatest tailors back at home weep in envy. Small clothes of every kind. Entire sections solely dedicated to kid dresses and some of the most risqué suits ever seen by Lena greeted the Claymore's eyes.

Unfazed by Lena and Raina's looks, Kelly immediately dragged them toward an Asari attendant, a girl dressed in a long, white dress. She happily told her that her friends needed to completely rebuild their wardrobe and were more than ready to spend as much time and money they wanted.

Cold droplets of sweats washed Lena's face when she saw both Kelly and the clerk exchange look of pure evil, but she was in at this point and she could not escape. She only hoped that her fears were unjustified.

They were not: Kelly relentlessly tortured both her and Raina for hours, forcing both girls to prove hundreds of dresses, from common pyjamas to the classiest nightgowns. The changing room used by Lena was literally flooded by dresses of any kind after just one hour of hard job, and yet Kelly claimed that they were far from over!

The fact that both Lena and Raina looked like dead women walking with each passing hour did nothing to stop her.

The attendants were not helping either, on the contrary! When they saw the numbers on Lena's credit cards, their eyes lit like ones of a Yoma that just saw a fresh, juicy prey. But the worst arrived when they discovered that the infamous Ripper was the one using their establishment! Dozens of Asari clerks immediately took an even greater interest of Lena, their gazes filled with lust and passion. Many mistaken Kelly for Lena's lover and many clerks threw at her looks of outright anger and envy for this, and when in one occasion Lena was forced to take some measurements for a particular dress, the clerks almost come to blow because they could not decide who should do the job!

A snarling sound of teeth grinding on each other accompanied Lena when she remembered that particular moment: how the clerk touched her skin over and over, staying seconds more than necessary and looking ready to pounce at her like a predator. It took all her willpower to simply not crush that fool's head like a ripe melon.

At the end of this ordeal, Lena was several hundred credits lighter, but in exchange she now possessed a massive wardrobe, easily eclipsing the ones used by the wealthiest nobles. Twenty new t-shirts and trousers of various colors, three full formal suits, two nightdresses so scandalous that Lena wondered why creating them in the first place, ten sets of bra alongside matching panties, four pajamas, two gym suites, seven pairs of shoes ranging from comfortable boots to stiletto heels alongside a dozen of socks, three jackets and, last but not least, a full set of battle underwear. And this was only Lena's part!

How could such flimsy pieces of fabric be used in any kind of battle was beyond Lena but she refused to comment on that.

They naturally had to rent a cab in the end, because there was no way in hell that three girls could bring such a massive cargo by themselves, and yet Kelly still insisted to bring some bags with them because apparently, a day of shopping is not complete if you do not bring something back at hand.

Another ludicrous idea that Lena simply failed to comprehend.

"Lena is right Raina." chirped Kelly "There is nothing to worry about. I cannot wait to see you with the red tailleur we bought in order to modify it. They should bring it to the ship tomorrow."

"They better do it." snarled Lena back "I have no intention of repeating that experience ever again. I wonder just how meek and broken are their males if all female Asari are so direct and aggressive toward others."

Kelly stopped abruptly on her tracks, her face a twisted mask of surprise and incredulity

"Kelly? What is wrong now?" asked Lena surprised. It took Kelly some seconds before the girl finally managed to regain her speech

"Male Asari?! Wait, Lena, don't tell me that...that you do not know!." she stuttered, still incapable to believe what she just heard

"What do I not know?" inquired Lena

"That the Asari are a mono-gendered species, Lena! There are no -male- or -female- Asari. Just Asari in general!"

Now it was Lena and Raina's turn to be completely flabbergasted

"You mean….they are all female?! But…. I always thought that they existed secluded somewhere. That because of some kind of tradition." Lena's brain was lost for a second, failing to accept such an idea

"But how can they reproduce if they do not have….you know what." asked the Claymore

"Ehm...i am not the best person when it comes to these questions, Lena," answered Kelly hesitantly. The hesitation only increased when she noticed that Raina was also waiting for an answer.

-I stepped on a landmine.- thought the girl for a second

"You should ask the doctor Chackwas for an accurate answer." replied Kelly curtly "Suffice to say that Asari can begin a process called mind-meld with their partners that, when used to the fullest, allow them to be impregnated just like human women."

Lena cringed slightly after hearing this

"And….they can do this at will? No matter what the partner says?" the Claymore still remembered the times when T'Von forced to copulate with Asari clients. The way said clients raped her mind over and over every time they had a chance.

Had she sired entire litters of small Asari without even knowing?

"No Lena." quickly added Kelly "According to every single study ever conducted, and what many aliens married to Asari said, the process of generating a child is two-faced. If one partner does not want to do it, then the entire process is stopped no matter how powerful the Asari is. Still, many races find Asari attractive so this is not much of a problem for them, and for the Asari….well! You see, as I said, Asari is a mono-gendered species. As such, they tend to be far less inhibited than humans. Or any other species for that matter. They simply cannot understand why we are so prudish when it comes to matters like sex, pleasure, or simply living with aliens. On the other hand, the Asari's ability to mate with any alien drives them to find them powerful creatures as mates. The meld allows them to choose what trait they wish to impart to their offsprings after all, and mating with other Asari is seen as a waste of genetic potential. It is also the reason why Asari are so aggressive and attracted toward you, Lena."

"...What?" asked Lena puzzled

"Lena, do you have any idea just how enticing you are?"

Lena looked at Kelly as if she just lost her head somewhere, but the girl simply shrugged and continued.

"You are a sword-fighter! A warrior that in an age of guns and explosives still uses cold weapons in battle, and somehow you survive. Scratch that! You do not survive, you thrive in it! You defeated dozens of enemies inside the arenas of Omega. You ended up being hired by Shepard, the first human Spectre in the Galaxy. You fought against Collectors, Husks, Mutants, and God knows what else and still emerged victoriously! Actions like that tend to attract a lot of attention. And your good looks make you even more fascinating."

"Fascinating me? How?"

"Lena, you...do you even understand how beautiful you are in the eyes of the average person, be it alien or not?"

Both of Lena's eyebrows rose in suspicion and incredulity, but still encouraged Kelly to continue

"Your body is sculpted to perfection: perfectly balanced, possessing both a lovely physique and amazing power. You fought for all your life according to any sources, and yet not a single scar blemishes your white skin. When you walk, you move with the grace of a predator; always ready to pounce, always exuding confidence and power. And your eyes! God, your eyes are so beautiful. Shining like the moon itself! Things like that attract a lot of attention, Lena."

Lena scoffed loudly, refusing to believe that what made her so hated back on the island could be considered beautiful by someone.

"Laugh and jeer if you will, but it is the truth. The same truth that makes any Asari you meet so hell bent of courting you in the hope of gain your attention, even for a second. You are a paragon among humans, and they want that for yourselves."

"Fantastic." Lena snarled, not amused by this.

"Lena." asked Kelly to the Claymore "Are you maybe against inter-species relationships? Or simply against same-sex relationship in general?" there was a note of worry inside Kelly's tone. A strange fear that Lena failed to understand.

"I am not." answered Lena curtly "It would be quite stupid on my part, considering that my female colleagues were the only people that never mistreated me. And I have nothing against aliens, as long as they do not overstep their boundaries."

Lena felt something like a damn breaching inside her. The friendliness of Kelly, her liking the girl, all these things relaxed the Claymore.

Slowly, she left the cautious tone and started speaking with more aggressivity, letting what had festered for two years inside her body out.

"The problems with the Asari is their overeagerness: they have no sense of shame! They always try to gain my attention, even when I desire only peace and quiet! They are always hyper-reactive and exaggerated in everything, especially sex, and always push for more!

I hate them! I hate all of this! What I want from my future mate is quietness, followed by great empathy and that little midget of initiative that spice up any relationships! A person capable of listening to me but at the same time able to understand that some times I just wish to be left alone! I hate loudmouthed people, I hate boasting and over-inquisitiveness! What I am looking for is a person like yo.."

Lena's brain stamped out the word at the last possible second. Barely. She marvelled at herself for her audacity, but at the same time she could not denies what she was thinking.

"Like me?" finished Kelly. There was an unreadable tone ringing on her voice now. Neither flattered nor accusatory.

"Yes!" muttered Lena, her cheeks now red with embarrassment "Like you. But!"

"Lena." Kelly interrupted her "I am flattered, I really am. But dating one of my clients would be the height of unprofessionalism, so I fear I must reject your advance. If you wish we could talk more about your preferences and how to be more open toward others during our next session."

A pang of pain rippled through Lena's heart, but the Claymore refused to comment and simply accepted the other girl's answer. Lena could see next to her that Raina was not happy with this answer, and she understood why: her child had learned to love Kelly in the brief time they lived together. She also knew that her mother was quite fond of the girl, just like her. Maybe she had hoped to have her as a permanent parent. Still, she was polite enough to not try to sway Kelly.

"Right, right." muttered Lena back to her friend "Let's just keep moving. It will take at least half an hour just to reach the space-port. We shall talk about the rest later."

* * *

 **Eclipse Holdout. 11 23 local hours.**

The sound of a living body slamming with great speed on the nearest wall reverberated inside the small complex like a thunder. It was so close, so sudden that the one responsible for this almost hit Shepard in the process. It certainly gave him and his squad quite the scare: a second before they were walking toward the source of the living signals. A second later one of said signal literally become a stain of the nearest wall, warping the metal with a sickening crunch and painting Shepard's squad with purple blood. The less was said about what was left of the body the better.

In front of Shepard, there were two Asari. One was an Eclipse commando, the armour and markings clear as day to recognize. She was scared beyond belief and kept aiming a pistol at another Asari in front of her.

The second Asari on the other hand...

Shepard had to blink twice before his eyes finally accepted what he was looking at because this particular Asari was far different than any ever met in his life.

She was tall, taller than him, and possessed a graceful figure that made her look almost etheric in her movements. A red, ancient-looking armour adorned her body, so different than the more common vests used by any soldier in the galaxy. Tattoos of the Goddess were etched on the metal and Shepard noticed that the Asari was armed with just a pistol. But what really left speechless Shepard were the eyes. Deep blue eyes, ancients, exuding power and stolidity as Shepard had never seen in his life!

So different from the usually carefree Asari she met during his life.

"They were my best soldiers." croaked the Asari Commando. Her pistol was aimed at the Justicar's head but her enemy appeared unfazed by this.

"Tell me what I wish to know, and I will let you live soldier." simply said the Justicar. Her voice was just as calm and powerful as her body.

"You think I will betray that...thing?!" replied the girl now terrified. Her eyes bulged with fear and the grip on the pistol trembled "You have no idea what she could do to me."

Shepard quietly filed this piece information on his mind, promising herself to research about it.

Whatever is capable of making a Commando leader piss herself in the pants, especially when in front of a Justicar, deserves some research.

"The name, warrior." replied the Justicar "Your life depends on it."

The mercenary fired back with her pistol as an answer. A futile effort, as expected by Shepard, and he ordered his squad to not intervene.

A shimmering barrier of biotic energy stopped the bullets before they reached the Justicar. The woman's expression remained stoic as if she was not in true danger. A simple wave of her hands and the mercenary flew like a rag-doll across the room. The mercenary screamed and trashed, but the Justicar's biotic grip was one of iron. After some seconds of trashing, the Justicar simply slammed the helpless soldier on the ground and placed her right foot on the girl's neck

"Last chance warrior." she said "The name."

"F...fuck you Justicar..." blabbered the mercenary. She spat a goblet of saliva mixed with blood at her enemy's feet "Someday...someone will...end you."

The Justicar was unfazed by all of this

"Find your peace in the embrace of the Goddess."

A quick movement and the soldier's neck was snapped.

"Wow," commented Garrus. Tali stayed quiet but kept the butt of her shotgun lowered

"Damn right. Ok squad! Guns lowered and fingers away from the trigger. Let's not piss her off." ordered Shepard. He and his squad moved toward the Justicar with slow, measured steps. They always made sure to not appear as enemies, allowing the Justicar to look at them with her blue eyes.

"Justicar." greeted Shepard. He kept his hands away from the guns and offered one to the Asari

"My quarrel is with the Eclipse sister, but I see three heavily armed soldier approaching me." said the Justicar with a calm tone. He refused Shepard's hand but also avoided blasting them with biotics.

Good enough for Shepard.

"My name is Justicar Samara, and I serve the code. Who are you, and what is your purpose?"

Something about the Justicar's voice told Shepard that lying was a very bad idea.

"Name's Shepard, Justicar Samara. I am a spectre under the Council's authority. I am looking for soldiers for a dangerous mission. The Collectors are abducting and killing scores of people in the Terminus system and I wish to stop them. I need the best soldiers in the galaxy for this, and this means also you."

"A noble goal, but is it not true that you now serve Cerberus?" queried the Justicar. Shepard grimaced but refused to back down

"Cerberus rebuilt me, that is true, and I would be lying if I said that I do not enjoy being alive. But my loyalty lies with the Council, the Alliance and its people. Cerberus is the only organization that takes this danger seriously and is now paying the bill. This is why I am working with them but once this mess is over, I will ditch them."

Samara's eyes bore into Shepard's, looking for any kind of lie or falsehood. Shepard almost collapsed under the pressure but refused to give up.

"You are telling the truth, and this honours me, but I cannot follow you, Commander Shepard. I am hunting a very dangerous criminal, one that I have tracked down for centuries. I cannot abandon my hunt, not now that I possess a lead."

"I wish you would change your mind, Justicar." said a voice behind them. Turning around Shepard saw that they were not alone anymore. Commissar Anaya and a small group of policewomen were here, armed and ready.

-Must have followed us.- reasoned Shepard

"My superiors ordered me to detain you."

"You are risking much, Commissar." said the Justicar to the other Asari "Luckily for you, the Code compels me to obey to you, for one day."

"And what happens when the day is over?" asked Tali

"I will break free and kill anyone that stands in my way." it felt like she was talking of the weather, so little emotion escaped from her lips.

"You would kill fellow law enforcers?" asked Garrus scandalized "Why?"

"I do not need to explain my reason to you, Turian, or to anyone for that matter." replied Samara "All I can tell you is that my soul is at peace, unlike the ones of many others."

"Is there a way we can avoid a massacre?" intervened Shepard "Something that can satisfy both parties?"

The Justicar did not reply, deciding instead to think about Shepard's words. Behind him, the Commander could see that both the Commissar and her small retinue were sweating bullets right now, desperately hoping that Samara would accept Shepard's offer.

A far cry from the powerful and snarky policewoman of some minutes ago.

"The prey I am looking for." said finally Samara "Managed to get on a ship prepared by the Eclipse. I was hoping to find some information about it. The name of the ship, or the destination. Alas! The Eclipse of this compound have destroyed their archives, and no one dared to surrender to me, making this battle a waste. But there is another cell not far from here. One governed by one of their leaders. It is the last hope I have. Find the name, and I will serve you for the duration of your mission."

"I know about it!" exclaimed Anyala "It is close. I can let you inside spectre. And that Volus, Pitne For, he knows something. You can interrogate him if you want." She was on the verge of actually begging for Shepard to accept the offer.

"Aren't you afraid that your prey will run away once reached her destination?" asked Shepard sceptically. "This is the ABC followed by any fugitive: always keep moving."

A shadow of pain and guilt washed Samara's usually unyielding expression. Shepard saw...regret? Rage? Sadness? He was not sure.

"She will not run. I hunted her for centuries. I know her. Once reached the destination, she will stop and settle. She has to do this."

Shepard ruffled his hairs, an old habit that sprung back to life when in a pickle. He carefully weighed his options, the power displayed by the Justicar, and the possible dangers. In the end, he made his decision.

"Very well, Justicar. We shall try to pry some information from the Eclipse." announced finally. Samara tilted her head slightly.

"I thank you, Shepard." Samara turned toward Anyala "I am ready to follow you, Commissar."

"Thank you, Justicar. You honour me." her tone bristled with humbleness and happiness. Behind her, her small retinue shamelessly released sights of relief.

"Good hunting Shepard. You will need it."

 **End of this part. Bit of a filler, I know, but a necessary one. Stay tuned for the final battle and the surprise.**


	19. Chapter14-2 Illium 2 day

**Chapter 15.2**

 **And so end the second day on Illium. Man, this was a hard one to write. I still am not exactly sure about it, I feel it is not perfect yet. Still, is here, and I hope you enjoy it.**

 **Have a good reading.**

 **P.S. yes, it is massive compared to the other entries, but the more I thought about splitting it, the less I liked the idea.**

 **Illium's Eclipse main compound around the dock district. 13 21 local hours.**

Entering inside the Eclipse's second compound proved to be extraordinarily easy. A quick discussion with that suspicious Volus called Pitne For still waiting inside the spaceport, and lo and behold! They now possessed all the maps and schematics of their main lair, coupled with basic knowledge of their alarm systems.

Turned out that said Volus had tried to double cross the Eclipse sisters by selling them a toxic gas, presenting it as a drug capable of improving their biotic capabilities. Of course, the Eclipse discovered the scam and now wanted to tear the idiot apart, so having a spectre interested in dealing with said Eclipse cell must have looked like a blessing from the sky for him. No wonder he immediately agreed to help Shepard in his mission.

No, mused the commander grimly. Entering inside the compound had been easy.

Avoiding being shredded by the Eclipse inside? This was proving to be far more difficult, especially considering that the entire place was chock full of Eclipse soldiers baying for their blood. And also of canisters packed with toxic gasses.

A canister exploded near the commander's position, filling the room with its deadly payload. All around him bullets and biotic attacks hit the wall he was using as cover. The metal covering the wall groaned and screamed like a living thing, shrapnels of metal flying away like small missiles, but it held. For now.

One of his attackers fell, her head twitching and moving madly after being hit by a Tali's drone, but another one immediately took her place and started hammering their position with bullets.

At least they were not being suppressed by automatic machine gun fire! Garrus and Tali's overload had already taken care of them.

"No Justicar to do the job for us, eh Shepard?" joked Garrus behind a crate. He raised himself from his perch, fired a bullet and quickly ducked down in less than three seconds. A slumping soldier was the result of his work. Despite all of this mess, he was smiling.

"Yep." replied Shepard "That is good! Can't have my team becoming a bunch of lazy asses. How many are left?"

"At least two dozens. Mostly soldiers at this point, but still some commandos. This will take a while."

A Vanguard tried to approach and blast them with his gun. A shotgun blast from Tali almost tore him in half.

"Glad you see you two are having fun!" grumbled the girl "I knew there was something that I definitively did not miss since leaving the old Normandy, and now I remembered it."

Shepard smiled slightly. She may bicker and moan as much as she wanted, but she still fought with ruthless determination and admirable zeal. Tali had come a long way from that shy girl of two years ago, scared shitless at the idea of fighting with the squad but still willing to do it for the Migrant Fleet.

It made Shepard feel almost proud.

"Shepard, I intercepted the Eclipse's communication. It appears that there is dissension among their ranks: many officers wish to retreat and cut their losses, while their main leader is spurning them into action. My predictions say that an aggressive push has a 71.3% chances of breaking their morale and force them to flee." EDI's voice intruded inside Shepard's channel

"I also inform you that the level of toxicity inside the room is reaching critical levels. I suggest ending the battle quickly."

Another casket of gas exploded next to Garrus, its frame shattered by a biotic bullet.

"Thank you, EDI. You heard her, team! Ready to move on my mark!"

Shepard quietly grabbed a pair of incendiary grenades from one of his pouches, courtesy of Zaeed. All around him bullets and biotic attacks kept flying like many murderous missiles, but Shepard simply ignored them. He waited for the right moment, to have as many enemies bunched up as possible.

That moment quickly arrived: scared by a concussive shot fired by Garrus, at least seven recruits instinctively bunched together in an effort to avoid the blast. All that Shepard needed.

The grenade banged at the feet of the bunched groups, menacingly moving toward its target, and a second later it went off.

The entire patrol disappeared under an inferno of fire. The people inside it shrieked and wailed like a tortured soul, while the protective systems of their armours failed one after another and their flesh inside their armour melted and cooked into a crisp.

This did the trick. Terrified by the sudden slaughter, many of the surviving recruits broke into a panic and started a mad dash toward any possible exits. the surviving veterans and commandos tried to stem the tide, but in doing so they exposed themselves and Garrus quickly picked them off one by one with his sniper rifle, their heads exploding like ripe melons. Routing, panicking and confused, the few surviving soldiers quickly fell under Shepard's team barrage, finally ending the battle.

"Area clear." said Garrus after some seconds, his eyes still glued on the sniper barrel "They are gone."

"About damn time." snapped Shepard lightly "Spread out and check the exits. I do not want any surprises."

"Yes Shepard." the team quickly moved toward their objectives, avoiding the clouds of toxic gas and obeying Shepard's order while Shepard inspected the battlefield.

There were at least twenty corpses all around him. Broken, smashed, destroyed and still bleeding. Most of them were younglings, kids attracted by the idea of adventures, loot and pleasure so common inside the mercenaries' propaganda posters, especially one like the Eclipse. The commander sighted at this: this was one of many parts that did not enjoy about his work, but he refused to be drowned by any sense of guilt. They made their choice and had to pay the price. If only they would stop doing-

"...Please." a weak voice interrupted Shepard's musing. One belonging to an Asari.

Shepard's instinct immediately kicked in, spinning his body and aiming his gun at the direction of the voice, only to lowering said gun after seeing who was talking.

In front of Shepard there was a wounded Asari, her light armour punctured and broken in many places. She was bleeding heavily from a chest wound and her eyes had a glassy expression.

"Please….don't...I…." wheezed the girl, more blood escaping from her split lips

"Ehi," replied Shepard. He activated his Omni-tool and injected the much-needed medicine inside the girl's body "Don't worry, I won't shoot you. How old are you girl, and what is your name?"

"132. My name is Elnora." replied the girl. The bleeding had been staunched, but she was still far from safe.

"You should be at school, kid." chided Shepard gently. A bitter laugh escaped from the girl's lips

"It was….so boring! I wanted to….to to have fun. To live my maiden's days to the fullest….the Eclipse looked so cool: entering the sisterhood...fighting together….seeing the galaxy….living a...wild life. Instead we only….smuggled drugs and….robbed people….We even helped….an Ardat-Yakshi."

Again that name. Ardat-Yakshi. Seizing the moment, Shepard decided to push

"What is this Ardat-Yakshi you speak of? Where can I find it?"

Embers of fear managed to kindle the girl's dying eyes.

"I have no idea….of where she is…..only the boss….Wasea….knows it. About the Ardat-Yakshi….i cannot explain….it is too….alien for anyone….to truly understand. She is a….a predator. No one….is safe from her….not even Justicars."

-Just what is this thing?- asked Shepard to himself -What can instil so much fear inside a person?-

"I understand. Well, kid, I have good news and bad news. Good news, you will survive; the Medi-gel has stopped the internal bleeding and patched you up. Bad news, once this mess is over I will consign you to the commissariat. Young or not, you attacked a council spectre and admitted of committing the crimes of smuggling and mugging. Avoid doing anything stupid and everything shall be fine."

Elnora's eyes lit into a fit of fear, and the girl weakly tried to protest and escape from Shepard's grasp

"No!...i will not...rot in prison!" but Shepard proved to be faster and injected the struggling girl with a sleeping agent. Three seconds later and the girl's face dropped no the floor, sleeping soundly.

"Should have put a bullet on her head Shepard." sneered Garrus behind him after witnessing the commander's actions "I dig a bit inside the Eclipse's terminal. This girl is the direct responsibility for the death of the Volus merchant's associates."

"We will drop her to the commissariat." retorted Shepard "My decision is final Garrus."

Garrus swore lightly but accepted Shepard's decision

"Let's move now! I doubt this Wasea will simply give us what we want."

* * *

 **16 minutes later. Outside the main warehouse area**

Shepard couldn't stop laughing. He knew that it was wrong in doing so and that the person in front of him needed to be helped, and not insulted, but the situation was simply too ridiculous for him.

"I am a biotic GOD! I think things….and they happen! Bow before me, you snivelling mortals, or I shall sweep you with my divine powers!"

Shouted the reason for Shepard's uncontrollable fits of laughers. A small Volus high on something and emitting a weak biotic aura.

After minutes of fierce fighting, avoiding clouds of toxic gasses, bullets, biotics and attack of every kind, the last thing Shepard had expected to find just outside the Eclipse leader's room was an addled Volus with a delusion of grandeur.

Turned out that the Eclipse had not killed every colleague of Pitne For. Maybe because they wanted some poetic justice, maybe because they needed to immediately dispose of some casks of toxic gas, or maybe they just wanted to have fun, but for some reason, the Eclipse left one Volus merchant alive and stuffed his body with drugs. He should have died on overdose almost immediately but, thanks to some biological miracle, the pudgy creature managed to survive and also to gain some temporary biotic power.

His mind, on the other hand, was having the ride of his life.

"Shepard, should we not help him?" asked Tali worried. Unlike him, the young Quarian was not laughing. The mask was hiding the girl's expression but Shepard was ready to bet that she was scowling right now.

"According to my scan, more than half of his body is filled with toxic Minagen. Lucky him that, apparently, Volus are resistant to it." supplied Garrus. Unlike Shepard, his demeanour was calm and stoic. Just hoping that this charade would end soon.

"We should lock him somewhere safe unless we want to have a drunk Volus in the middle of a battlefield."

"Alright alright! Listen up buddy, are you part of Pitne For's gang?"

The Volus's head tilted slightly, a movement that almost managed to drop him on the floor, and then finally answered.

"Before becoming a god, I worked for him. The poor soul is probably worried sick about me."

"He said nothing about you to the commissar. He probably wants to escape as quickly as possible from Illium, and denouncing your disappearance would slow him down."

Replied Tali darkly

"Face it! People like For cares only about money."

"Pah!" shouted the Volus in response "If this is true, then I will deal with him accordingly, but not before crushing that arrogant Asari that dared to torture my perfect body."

"He is going inside to face Wasea?!" said Garrus flabbergasted. "Shepard, this Volus could not tie a pair of bootlaces right now, let alone fight an Asari Commando. We need to stop him!"

"You are right. Ok buddy, listen up! Why don't you take a nap somewhere safe and let the actual soldiers handle Wasea?" offered Shepard. Of course, the Volus took it as a personal insult

"Are you mocking me, earth clan?! Killing Wasea and drinking her biotic rich blood is the last step before ascending to godhood! Anyone that will try to stop me will be swept away by my godlike powers! I"

Shepard hit the Volus on the back of his pudgy shoulders, gently. The Volus tumbled down like a rag-doll, his addled body incapable of even keeping itself straight after such a weak pressure. Dazed, confused, the Volus took precious seconds to raise from the ground and, when he did it, his voice sounded far more subdued.

"I….i….but….biotic god….what am I saying….i" he stammered

"You need to rest." concluded Shepard gently "Go take a nap, we will deal with what is left."

"Yes, yes. Taking a nap. Conquering the universe….later." The Volus wobbled away from the door, leaving Shepard and his team free to move

"So much for godhood." snickered Garrus

"Ok team, recreation's over. Weapons ready and hot, I doubt this Wasea will simply surrender to us."

* * *

The Asari leader of this particular Eclipse compound was an impressive specimen. Taller than Shepard and dressed in full battle armour, the woman possessed a broad physique, a strong body and green eyes that betrayed glints of malignant intelligence.

His resolve was also sterner than the ones of her subordinates. Where her guards shrieked and cursed when the door leading to the outside exploded with a thunderous thunder, she refused to act rashly. One hand placed a data-pad next to a drawer while the other gave subtle orders to her underlings. Wasea rose from her spot, unperturbed, and looked at Shepard's team with neutral eyes

"Spectre," said Wasea to Shepard "You could have knocked."

"Wasea, right?" rebutted Shepard "Let's cut to the chase. I am here on behalf of the Justicar. You have pieces of information that she needs. Just hand them over and we can avoid bloodshed."

The commander hoped, for one single second, that Wasea would have accepted and simply be done with this charade.

What could she possibly gain from aiding this peculiar criminal if she ended up killing a spectre after all?

Of course, reason and common sense were not in ample supply this day.

"You know spectre," said Wasea to Shepard some seconds later "I was starting to think that the Goddess had cursed me for some reason. First the arrival of that filthy creature, then a Justicar come breathing on my neck. Last but not least, a bunch of pathetic Volus tries to trick us."

A shimmering halo of biotic energy suddenly wrapped Wasea's body like a blanket. Fearing the worst, Shepard and his team scattered and readied their weapons.

"At least now I can vent my frustration. Come and die, human!"

A couple of crates next to Wasea jumped like living things. Covered in biotic energy, the heavy crates flew against Shepard with such speed that the commander only barely managed to avoid them. The crates exploded, their deadly payload now free to spread inside the room, but this was not the only danger. Bullets and biotic attacks hit Shepard's team's covers, a deadly barrage of death that threatened to tear anyone foolish enough to raise his head.

It was not a good situation, and yet Shepard simply shrugged in annoyance. No fear or rage marred his features, just old plain annoyance

-Why everyone wants to die today?- he grumbled. The soldiers alongside Wasea immediately opened fire, but they were a sparse bunch, incapable of doing real damage. Wasea was the only true danger, and Shepard quickly devised a plan.

"Tali, drone! Garrus, concussive shot followed by constant fire. Now." ordered briskly Shepard. He didn't wait to see if his teammates obeyed their orders. He didn't need it. Instead, he dashed away from his cover, shotgun in hand, moving from cover to cover with consummate experience and started blasting any Eclipse unfortunate enough to block his way.

The shields shimmered and crackled under the pressure, but still, they held. The same could not be said about the unfortunate soldiers at the receiving end of Shepard's shotgun. Wasea snarled in rage and directed all of her energies toward Shepard, something that the commander had not expected and forcing him to duck for cover once again lest he wanted to suffer an onslaught of biotic power. His reflexes saved him from a barrage powerful enough to destroy a LOKI mech but he was still forced to move behind a nearby column, just as Shepard had expected. All of Wasea's power was now directed against Shepard's cover, but in doing so he forgot to coordinate her remaining soldiers.

A terrible mistake when you are more than a simple grunt.

Left to their own devices, wavering under Tali's and Garrus's fire, all around Wasea people died one by one. Hit by drones, picked apart by high powered sniper rounds, cooked alive under their armours or chocked by the toxic fumes exhaling from dozens of bullet-riddled crates, they all slowly died.

"Just die already human!" screamed Wasea toward Shepard. So much was the power behind her biotics that the column used by Shepard as cover began to shudder, the metal stripped away by dozens of terrifying blasts of biotic energies. Shepard's armour systems flashed dangerously for some seconds and the commander feared for the worst

-Does she not have a breaking point?! Cursed the commander under his breath. An entire section of the column disappeared under a pillow of smoke and shredded metal and alongside it a piece of Shepard's own armour. Then, all of a sudden, Shepard felt a loud crack followed by the sound of something breaking.

Hesitantly, the commander peeked from what was left of his cover, trying to understand what had just happened.

Wasea was now down, her tech armour shattered by a high calibre bullet and bleeding profusely from a chest wound. Her biotic powers flared and twitched and the corona of biotic power that previously wrapping her started to disappear.

"Fuck, fuck fuck!" she screamed hoarsely. Only now he noticed that her small band of soldiers lying dead on the warehouse.

She was alone now but at this point what she could do?

Her eyes started to lose focus and the shapes of Shepard and his teammates began to blur, to disappear.

"I should have never….accepted the...bargain!"

She tried with what was left of her strength to fire one biotic attack at Shepard, but the commander simply shoots her with his side-gun, opening another hole on her chest.

All her organs now destroyed, Wasea collapsed on the floor on a puddle of violet blood.

"No! You should have not." concluded Shepard grimly "Ok team, you know the drill. Scour for anything useful while I look inside their archives. I want to be out of here in less than half an hour."

* * *

 **Illium Space docks. Local commissariat. One hour later**

"So!? You have it? What she wants?"

Shepard raised both his eyebrows in amusement and surprise. He and his squad had just finished doing their business inside the Eclipse compound and were now back to Elnora's working place. They were not alone: alongside them, there were both the addled Volus they found and the wounded Asari merc Shepard had drugged during one of the many skirmishes they fought against the Eclipse. Oh, and naturally all the credits, raw resources they could pilfer from the now ravaged Eclipse's base, and many interesting clues that Shepard knew Anaya would find very interesting.

After all, when it comes to sacking bases, not even a plague of locust could match Shepard and his crew.

Shepard had expected commissar Anaya to interrogate him about his two guests, or asking some intel about the Eclipse's compound the moment he entered.

This is how a commissar is supposed to act after all.

Instead, Anaya literally jumped at him when he saw him, grabbing him with one arm and begging frantically about the Justicar's task, brushing aside anything else.

It was not the only sour note inside the building: Asari is generally a cheerful lot, even at work. They always chatter, mingle, flirt and socialize while doing their jobs, far beyond the boundaries of social decencies according to many other races.

And yet today the commissariat was deadly quiet. All the clerks, policewomen, workers and even criminals were not even daring to utter a word, content to work and live in a silence so thick you could cut it with a knife.

They didn't even try to lock the Justicar in a cell, simply happy to have her meditate on one corner of the room, near the commissar.

"Yes, I have found what you need." answered Shepard "Justicar Samara, your target escaped o Omega aboard of the ship AML Demeter. Here is the data-pad with the intel."

Only now, when he reached toward the Justicar, Shepard noticed that her eyes were brimming with biotic energy somehow.

Some kind of technique used during meditation by biotics? Shepard had no idea

"Thank you Shepard." said the Justicar breaking immediately her trance.

A graceful hand grabbed the data-pad offered by the commander, and the Justicar's blue eyes, now blue once again, started scanning its contents.

"You did a fair job, Commander Shepard." said the Justicar after some minutes "The fact that she is escaping on Omega does not surprise me. A place of debauchery and revelry like that is the perfect hunting ground for her. She will not move for a long time."

-Hunting ground?- queried Shepard but refused to say it out loud

The Justicar rose from her spot and looked at the Commander right in the eyes, her serene expression turning into the phantom of a smile.

"You kept your word and I shall keep mine."

A corona of biotic energy wrapped Samara's body all of a sudden, startling Shepard for a second. But no attack comes to his direction, on the contrary! Samara knelt beside Shepard, almost touching his feet with her head, and placed her hands on her chest in what looked like a position of prayer

"By the Code I, Justicar Samara, swear to serve you, Commander Shepard, for the duration of your quest. Your enemies shall become my enemies. Your allies shall become my allies. Your quest my quest. Do you accept my oath, Commander Shepard?" declared Samara with a new voice, one empowered by biotics and carrying an aura of authority and dignity never heard by Shepard.

So startled was the commander by this turn of even that for some seconds words failed to reach him

-Did she just said….oath?!- asked a puzzled Shepard to himself -Just like the knights of old?-

"Yes... I accept." finally managed to say, Shepard.

"Then take my hand," answered Samara, offering her right hand to Shepard. Hesitantly, the Commander accepted it and, immediately, a surge of biotic power flew inside his body, making him slightly jump in surprise. It lasted only one second, but it was so powerful that Shepard's armour flared in alarm.

When Samara freed him from her grip, Shepard noticed that the armour plates covering his arm were now scarred and still glowing with biotic energy.

-Maybe is like the slap that squires received during the ceremony of becoming knight.- reasoned Shepard.

"Now we are bound by oath." declared Samara softly to Shepard. She raised from her position and looked at the commander with a new light. One that Shepard could not understand

"I will obey any order you shall impart upon me but, if you shall force me to do something that goes against the Code, once your mission will be over, I will kill you."

Just now Shepard noticed that he had managed to gather quite a crowd. Every single person inside the commissariat was looking both at him and Samara with awe-struck expression, their current job completely forgotten

"I had never seen a Justicar granting the oath of subjugation to a human." whispered one of the onlookers. A matron, judging by her posture "I don't think it ever happened in the history of our people!"

"Just who is this human?" asked another to anyone in particular

More than enough to make clear that, whatever this oath of subjugation was, it was not something to take lightly.

"The last part shall not be necessary, Justicar Samara. I am sure of that." and Shepard dearly hoped that it was the truth because the way Samara spoke about his demise in case of forcing her to break the code managed to send a shiver under his spine. Samara was not threatening him in any way, only stating a fact.

"Now, back to business. Commissar Anaya, I have something for you. First, the main responsible for the killing of one of Pitne For's associates. This girl" Shepard pointed at the Asari kept at bay by Garrus "Is responsible. I have found a recording where she confesses of being the assassin."

"Really now?" replied Anaya. "A recording is something, but I shall need more if you want me to properly detain her. Illium politics are….very elastic when it comes to dealing with mercenaries."

Shepard grimaced while Elnora's eyes lit in happiness and hope. The dreaded cell she was expecting to find ready for her was getting away from her mind…

"I vouch for Shepard," said Samara all of a sudden

….and immediately all of her hopes crashed down like a ton of bricks

"….If you vouch, Justicar, then I will accept it. You" Anaya pointed at one of her underlings "Throw her in a cell. I shall deal with the paperwork later."

Once again Shepard witnessed just how much power and respect a Justicar could command on other Asari. He privately wondered just how dangerous could one of them be if left unchecked.

"Now spectre, wanna talk about anything else? Maybe about that addled Volus?"

"Precisely. He is one of Pitne For's assistants. The Eclipse drugged him out of spite because the Volus tried to trick them. I have already called for an ambulance, but I also want to show you this. Proofs that Pitne For sold red sands to the Eclipse. Here is the data-pad."

Anaya grabbed the data-pad and skimmed its contents. A small, cruel smile crept on her lips

"Well well well! Selling red-sand is not forbidden on Illium, but I doubt that dear old Pitne is allowed to sell that much of it! Thank you spectre, I wanted to lock that sly bastard since I met him, and now"

Shepard's Omni-tool flared into activity all of a sudden, stopping both Shepard and Wasea from what they were doing. Annoyed, the commander looked at his tool, wondering who could disturb him right now. His annoyance turned into preoccupation when he noticed that Liara was the one calling her

"Liara?" asked Shepard while answering "What are you?"

"It's an emergency, Shepard. About the Ripper."

Shepard's sweat turned into ice after hearing this, already fearing the worst

"What is the problem?" he asked

"A small group led by a Batarian is moving toward her. Apparently, they had decided to throw caution out of the window and ambush them near the space docks right now, just close to your ship. You need to warn her immediately!"

Shepard had to suppress the urge to curse out loud in front of everyone

"Well, fuck!" cursed Shepard under his breath "Thanks for the info Liara. I owe you." Shepard immediately closed the call and tried to contact Kelly Chambers. He knew that Lena was with her and, with Lena's habit of never bringing an Omni-tool with her outside of combat, she was the only option.

Only static and jammed signals answered his calls.

This was not good. At all.

"Specter, what is happ-" tried to ask Anaya.

"No time for explaining. Commissar, I need to ask for a favour: could you temporary block all traffic movements in the sector of the space-port near the Normandy?"

"I could." answered Anaya "But why"

"Do it then! I need to move now." Shepard sprinted away from the commissariat alongside his team, both new and old, leaving a very puzzled commissar behind. He hoped that Anaya would grant him this favour, but he could not afford to stay put and talk his way into helping him.

"EDI!" Shepard shouted on his comm now linked to his ship "Red alert for all standing agents inside the Normandy. We have an emergency!"

* * *

 **Space-dock district, an area near the Normandy's dock. Three minutes before Liara's warning**

"Wow! It is actually quite late already! Time really does fly when you are having fun, eh?!"

"I would not call treating both me and Raina with hours of pure torture inside that outlet -fun-, Kelly. But it is true that it is a bit late now. Between all the carousing, the spending and the eating inside that small restaurant. It is a wonder that Shepard has not called us already."

"Oh come on, Lena! You speak as if Shepard is our father and us a pair of roughnecks kids! This was our day off and we had fun, nothing less nothing more. He will not say a thing."

"Whatever, I had fun but I will be happy once I shall be able to drop all of this stuff inside the cabin and be done with it."

Kelly laughed gently at this quipping

"You really hate shopping, do you? Don't worry, we are almost there."

It was true. The large and imposing figure of the Normandy was finally, after one day of hard fun, in front of their eyes. Beautiful as always, gleaming like a silver diamond in Lena's eyes, the Claymore would have never imagined that such a bizarre construction could have one day become her home, but that was how Lena looked at it. The Claymore lingered her gaze for some seconds longer than she was used; it was not every day that she had the chance to look at the ship in all her glory, and the road was so silent and tranquil right now, just like inside a forest during a hunt. All she needed for a good….

Lena's brain stopped for a second. All Claymores that survives the first year of services develop a strong sense of survival, something akin to a sixth sense capable of analyzing, scrutinizing and digesting even the smallest scraps of pieces of information and turning them into a preemptive alarm. It is not a perfect radar, but Lena had not survived all of these years without listening to it. It was this sense after all that saved her from Korgath and his weapons years ago when he had no idea about what a gun truly was.

And now this sense was screaming at her that something was very wrong here.

"Odd." commented Kelly next to her, still oblivious of her distress "I am calling EDI to tell her that we are almost back, but my Omni-tool is not working properly." Effectively, the strange machine was behaving weirdly, even Lena could see it. It usual orange glow was somehow dimmed, and many commands refused to work when Kelly punched them with her fingers.

Something was very wrong here.

"Kelly," Lena whispered weakly to the girl. Her worried eyes scanned the place all around her, and her brain finally noticed the oddity that turned her senses so quickly.

Where were all the people? According to EDI and Jacob, space-ports of planets like Illium never truly stop working. So many ships docks inside it thanks of the thriving commerce, so much merchandise move up and down that entire squadron of clerks, workers and robots are hired and prepared in such a way that there is always someone working. Even one hour of break would bring a massive loss of profits, and if there is something that every merchant hate, no matter the race, is losing profit.

So why there was no one here right now?

"Mum," said Raina weakly. She had no idea of what was happening, but a quick glance aimed at her mother told her that something was not right.

"Kelly, we need to move now!" said Lena to her companion

"What, what are you talking about Lena?" asked the girl puzzled. Lena grimaced inwardly. Kelly was a sweet and caring girl, but when it came to survival and battle she possessed the sight of a mole.

"We are in danger. We need to go inside the Normandy, now!"

"Danger? From whom?"

Her answer arrived when five unidentified soldiers appeared in front of them, weapons already raised and aimed.

"...Oh." Commented Kelly, utterly surprised.

Lena reacted immediately. Her hands left the heavy bags full of clothes and immediately shielded both Rina and Kelly with her hands, forcing both of them to cower behind her. Of the corner of the eye, Lena noticed that no one was aiming a gun behind them, but the Claymore immediately excluded the possibility of an escape.

Not that it was impossible for her! She could easily run away by herself, easily avoiding or tanking some bullets, but she could not do it while bringing both Raina and Kelly with her, and leaving them behind was not an option.

"What is going on? Who are those people?" asked Kelly to no one in particular, her voice now laced with fear. Frantically, the girl tried to use the Omni-tool to contact someone, anyone, but the blasted machine refused to work.

"Stay behind me." snarled Lena to both Kelly and Raina. Her eyes scanned the incoming enemies, trying to see some weaknesses inside them or some signs of their affiliation. Something that could help her.

They were a motley group. An Asari, one Salarian, one Turian, two humans, all of them dressed in different kinds of garbs, from heavy armours to simple vests. Their weapons were also different, from simple heavy pistols gripped by the Salarian to one human pointing a heavy shotgun at her. Even the way they moved felt off to Lena; slightly uncoordinated, sluggish in a way. As if they had been rounded up in a hurry and forced to work together.

They were lead by a Batarian, one dressed very elegantly in a rich, black garb made of some kind of leather mixed with silk. Four eyes socketed in a bright, yellow face looked at Lena with a mixture of happiness and lust, and for a second this face reminded something to the Claymore.

"Aah, dear Ripper! Glad to see you once again." said the Batarian with a smile. His voice was smooth and gentle, almost caring but, just like many others Batarians, there was an edge of arrogance nestled inside the words.

The voice itself was not new for Lena. She had already met this Batarian in person, but she could not remember where, and how.

"You…." Lena wracked her brain, forcing it to dig deeper inside her memories. Her mind wandered back on the past and quickly dug out the image of this Batarian talking to her, a glass of champagne on his hand and discussing about Archangel and his dangerous example. She remembered meeting him on a gala, the gala when…

"You are one of the guests inside Hock's mansion. We talked a bit together, gossiping about Archangel."

the Batarian's hands clapped together in happiness

"Exactly! I am so happy to know that you still remember me, despite talking with me for such a little time! You have no idea just how much I wanted to grab and drag you with me back on my palace that day! You are such a marvellous human specimen, so unlike any other, I have ever met!" the Batarian slightly tilted his head on the right "Oh, but where are my manners? Allow me to present myself." the Batarian made an overly exaggerate bow "My name is Ghasvin Kram'coss. Proud member of the second high cast of the planet Aratoth. Following your culture's words, I would be what you once called a noble born."

"A lord among peasants then" continued Lena while trying to gain time. For what she was still not totally sure, but she still did it.

"Why someone as high as you would come here, so far from home?"

"Ah, even your manner of speech is so much more enjoyable than the one of so many humans! Always whining against their betters, always fighting back in the name of freedom! But you" all of four eyes scanned Lena's body with an obvious desire

"I am here because I want you, my dear Ripper. Having one of the greatest warrior and gladiator ever know in the Terminus system under my control would bring me a great deal of prestige and respect among my peers. The mere sight of you my dear, next to my chambers with a collar on your neck showing the symbol of my house, would fill my enemies with fear. Because if I have you after all, what else is beyond my grasp?"

"And why should I accept to become your slave, Ghasvin?" grumbled Lena back.

"No need to be so aggressive dear. I know that both the Council and the Alliance propaganda paint us Batarians as dreaded slavers, good only at whipping any poor souls that end in our grasp, but this is not the whole truth! Only the most wretched, the miserable outcasts and dregs of society suffer such a fate! You on the other hand, as a slave of my house, would experience a life of luxury and pleasure. I take great care of my possessions after all, as any high caste Batarian should do. You would be finally free from a life of a mercenary, cuddled and pampered by many exotic slaves living only for your pleasure. You would answer only to me, your new lord and master. An existence of joy and delight for you and your child! Yes, I know that the little thing behind you is your daughter. I made my research. All in exchange for your submission.

A great bargain, if you ask me."

"This Batarian cannot be serious," whispered Kelly on her back, and Lena completely agreed with her.

"A great bargain might be" replied Lena "But right now I am under contract, Ghasvin. And is not my habit to break contracts only because someone else offered me a -better-" Lena pronounced this word with pure venom "Offer. I have a reputation to maintain after all. What would others say if I decided to break contracts left and right?"

"I understand your reticence dear" Ghasvin's words were dripping with honey, but the edge was one of steel "And I commend you for your honesty, but I am afraid that I will not accept no as an answer. Boys!" all of Ghasvin's goons immediately started moving toward Lena

"You do not want to piss me off Ghasvin!" threatened Lena, but Ghasvin remained unfazed by this

"Please! You are as dangerous as a pack of Yaghs in battle, but you are unharmed and unarmored right now. You would only hurt yourself!"

-If that is what you think then you know nothing of me.- thought Lena

Ghasvin let his goons move for another meter before stopping them

"But I do not desire to injure you, dear. So, here one last chance: surrender yourself and move toward me, and I will let both your daughter and your friend go unharmed. You have my word."

Lena eyed the enemies soldiers aiming their guns at her. She could defeat them, she was sure of it, but it was too risky doing it right now, with both Raina and Kelly behind her. She needed to get closer, to lull them in a false sense of security, and she could think of only one way of defeating these people

"Lena" whispered Kelly behind her back "You cannot truly think about becoming a slave of that wretch! He will never let you go."

A bitter smile appeared on Lena's lips. Kelly, ever caring about others even when your life is in danger.

"Kelly." replied Lena to the girl "The moment I attack, I want you to take Raina with you and run away as fast as possible!"

"Lena, you cannot ask me to"

"Mum! Do not listen to."

shouted both Kelly and Raina in unison

"Promise me, Kelly!" Lena stopped them on their track, her voice refusing any rebuttal

Kelly's lips twitched in impotent despair, and her eyes looked at Lena's with a mixture of sorrow and defiance, but she quickly relented under Lena's gaze. Quietly, Kelly grabbed Raina's hands and prepared to run, all while Raina looked on the verge of breaking down.

Lena smiled grimly to them, in a vain effort to reassure them.

"Do not shoot my daughter, and Kelly!" announced Lena to Ghasvin "I will come with you."

Slowly, keeping both her hands on the air, Lena approached the small gang of guards and their Batarian overlord. All the goons twitched in surprise at her surrender but still refused to let the weapons down. Ghasvin, on the other hand, was beyond happy.

"I knew that you would have listened to reason." he beamed happily. Just now Lena noticed attached to Ghasvin's hip what looked like a golden collar with a strange symbol on its centre. Lena inwardly retched at the image of her collared like a dog but hid everything inside her mind.

She was not so close to the first goons, she could even count the smallest scales composing the Turian's skin, or the small crests of the two Asari, but she needed to come closer.

The six goons quickly surrendered her, aiming their guns from every direction in an effort to crush any possible ill intention aimed at their master.

Lena smiled inwardly at this. It mattered nothing how they moved. Not for her.

The moment Ghasvin moved his arms toward the collar, Lena strike.

Many among the galaxy, Shepard included, had always thought that Lena's power, while amazing in their own right, could only be exploited while using a weapon like a sword, or a gun, but they were wrong. T'von knew, after all, that the greatest and most spectacle kills were the ones made with your own hands and for this reason he hired, among the many trainers, a peculiar Drell adept at many fighting styles. Lena never knew anything about this peculiar person, not even his name, but it didn't matter because said Drell proved to be a true goldmine of knowledge! Where to hit a creature, any sentient creature of the galaxy, with her bare hands and defeat them no matter their armor and equipment; the weak point to hit, the strong point to avoid, the most common fear to exploit, everything she needed to know in a fistfight to emerge victoriously, and Lena proved to be an apt pupil.

Now, it was time to use them once again.

-When fighting humans, use a backdoor approach and hit the base of the neck with an elbow punch.- the bastard was in front of him, so she opted for the second option -If not, grab the enemy's shoulder- One yoki infused arm hit right on the base of the shoulder, breaking it on impact -with one hand and his chin with the other- Lena did exactly this while the enemy only began to cry in pain, his brain finally registering what had just happened -then break his neck with one swipe.-

One stroke and the human's neck broke like a twig.

The remaining goons reacted immediately, firing controlled bursts of fire, but they lost precious seconds in doing so and this proved to be their undoing. Only one bullet managed to truly hit her, and Lena felt the metal sizzle and burn her flesh of her left tight. Some kind of incendiary mods surely, and it hurt like hell. Still, it failed to stop her.

Her next target now was the Asari, and once again the words of his master returned inside his mind.

-Frontal approach: hit the centre of the neck with one blow.- Lena hit the Asari's neck with such strength that she felt the windpipe shattering under the pressure. -Grab the scalp while the target is chocking- Lena grabbed the small tentacles on her back with one savage pull. -And break the neck.-

The Asari collapsed on the ground, her neck moved at an unnatural angle.

Behind her, Lena saw the Turian moving against her, trying to hit her with what looked like a shock baton.

-Against Turian, first break the kneecap bones with one kick- Lena's leg hit the Turian's leg with such strength that it shattered the bone with a crunching sound -then grab the fractured bone with one hand to inflict debilitating pain to the target and hit the eyes with your fingers- Lena slightly modified this teaching by hitting the Turian's right eye with the entire hand, cracking the pupil on the impact -Finally, grab the head crest and rotate it in one motion.- Lena did exactly that and the Turian's screaming immediately stopped, its neck broken.

Only one Asari remained in front of Lena, terrorized beyond belief and the grip on her weapon visibly shaking. Lena thought about charging at her and be done with it, but the girl was now so terrorized that, when Lena moved a single step toward her, the girl yelped in fear and ran for her lives, leaving her weapon behind

-Pitiful bastards.- snickered Lena grimly. Her wound on her tight was still sizzling and hurting like hell and her eyes were golden with yoki energy but, apart for that, she was more than fine.

"Now, Ghasvin" she cockily announced Lena "Wanna still have me?"

No one answered her.

Surprised by this, Lena moved her gaze left and right, looking for both Ghasvin and the last one of his goon, the Salarian. They were not here anymore, only the three broken corpses of the soldiers she had just killed were left now, still bleeding and lightly twitching.

-Had he escaped?- mused the Claymore for a second -Is he really that fast? And where is the other one?- Lena wanted to believe that it was over, that Ghasvin had fled like a coward, never to bother her again, but something deep inside her warned that it was not the case.

Ghasvin was still nearby, but where.

The sound of a gun firing, followed by Kelly's anguished scream of pain, answered Lena's question

"No!" whispered Lena to herself. Now she saw Ghasvin's plan: while most of his goons kept her occupied, he moved against Kelly and Raina, to use them against her.

She could not allow this!

Immediately, Lena sprinted toward the source of the cry, hoping to not be too late.

* * *

"We are almost here Raina, almost here!" Kelly was running for her life as she had never done before. She could feel her heart pumping like crazy, frantically trying to keep the fastest pace while moving away from the space-port. She was not running aimlessly: the girl was moving through smaller alleys and less used roads, but Kelly always made sure to move in a circle, in an effort to reach the Normandy with a longer tour. It was a long shot, but the only idea she managed to think at the moment.

"Kelly, they are behind us!" panted Raina next to her. The child was running hand in hand with her and, surprisingly, keeping a smooth pace without suffering any fatigue. Maybe it was her yoma blood but Kelly could not care less at the moment.

"Keep running." simply said Kelly to the child "Just keep running!"

The alleys and roads were still deserts, no one could help them even if they wanted, but Kelly's eyes could finally see the faint traces of the Normandy's profile and the faint sounds of people. It was still far, but now reachable. They only needed to hold for a little longer.

A coruscating pain suddenly hit Kelly's right leg like a spike. The girl screamed in pain and surprise, her body crashing on the ground with an audible thump. Kelly's strained face turned toward her leg, now bleeding heavily from a gunshot that had gone through the flesh like a scalding knife. When Kelly tried to move it, stars of pain hit her like a hammer and all her strength disappeared from her limb.

She could not move. That was clear.

"Raina, the ship is near. Do not think about me, just keep running!" croaked Kelly to the terrified child

"W-what?! No!….i cannot leave you!" screamed Raina. Her eyes were not wide in fear and she was visibly shaking at this point, but still refused to leave Kelly's hand. She even tried to raise Kelly's body from the ground with desperate movements.

"You must! If you don't they"

"Here you are!" a boot stomped Kelly's back all of a sudden with a sickening sound, stopping the girl's talking on her track. Ghasvin was finally here, alongside his remaining goon. His calm composure was long gone, replaced by an angry snarl that promised death for whoever tried to stop him. It was his boot the one pressing Kelly's back.

"You gave me a lot of trouble, little maggots, but now the chase is over. With you with me, that stupid girl will surely submit. Carasin, grab the child."

"No!" something inside Kelly refused to let this happen, no matter the pain on her leg or the weight pressing on her back. With a titanic struggle, Kelly shrugged Ghasvin's foot away from her back, unbalancing the Batarian slaver and almost making him collapse on his Salarian goon. The pain on her leg hit Kelly like a whip for this, and the girl saw the stars for a moment, but the action gave precious seconds to both her and Raina. Seconds Kelly used to literally coil Ghasvin's legs with both her arms, pinning him in place.

"Just run Raina! Run and do not turn back!" screamed Kelly. A second later an armoured fist hit her square in the face.

"Stupid bitch!" roared Ghasvin while he disentangled himself from a pained Kelly, but the quick diversion had worked, and Raina was already running away from him.

"Carasin! Get a move already! I will deal with this one." the Salarian grunted and moved to intercept Raina.

"Fucking humans!" cursed Ghasvin the moment he was alone with Kelly. One strong hand grabbed the wounded girl and forced her on her knee, uncaring of the searing pain that this caused to her.

"Just wait until your friend sees us together."

* * *

-You left her alone! You left her alone! You left her alone to suffer!- screamed the voice inside Raina's head, no matter how hard she tried to suppress them. She knew that it was the only choice left for her and that Kelly herself had ordered her to run, but still, she could not forgive herself for this!

The moment Raina saw Kelly grabbing that disgusting Batarian's legs, telling her to run, was the moment Raina sprinted away from the plaza, still screaming and sobbing.

She tried to reach the Normandy, she truly did, but so scared she was by her last tracker that she quickly lost herself inside the massive Dedalus of alleyways of roads and locked ends of the space-port. Running in circles quickly depleted what was left of the child's stamina and Raina's breath soon became a wheeze. Even worse, Raina could still hear the alien's heavy footsteps moving behind her, looking for her. Tired, panting heavily, Raina looked desperately for a hiding place, a hole where she could hide and wait for the alien to disappear.

She found said place in a small, dark crack between two massive buildings. Too cramped and short and dark to be called a road, too big to be called a hole, in the child's eyes it looked like a triangle wedged inside two massive buildings. The moment Raina saw it, she jumped inside it and stopped moving. The place was dark, devoid of lamps or any kind of illumination devices, and so small that even a small child like Raina could hit both walls of the buildings with her hands if she was not careful. A fault during the construction? A place willingly left open to let the buildings breathe? Raina had no idea and could not care at the moment. Her mind could only conjure prayers and stamp out tears right now, in a desperate effort to block any sound.

The footsteps of the Salarian quickly reached the alley, deafening Raina's ears. Raina could hear his tracker moving, coming closer and farther from her hiding spot for interminable seconds, looking for her. Many times the child thought that he had found her, that she was doomed, only to hear the Salarian moving away from the dark road. After some tense minutes of waiting, Raina heard no sound coming from the alleys, and allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief.

And right at that moment, a pair of strong, alien hands grabbed her tiny frame and roughly shoved her back into the light.

"Found you." simply stated the Salarian.

Raina screamed and shrieked like a cornered beast under his grip. Tiny fists hit the Salarian's armour with reckless desperation while her legs flayed and moved away from her captor. She tried, she really did, to escape from her captor's hand. She even tried for the first time in her life to call yer yoma side to her, uncaring for the consequences, but the disparity was simply too big, and the only thing she managed to do was spooking her captor by turning her eyes bright yellow.

"What the?" exclaimed Carasin with wide eyes after seeing the transformation, but still refused to weaken his grip "No matter. Stop struggling and accept that you have lost, whatever you are. It is over."

Raina's answer was biting one of the hands keeping her still with her teeth, the strength behind her actions empowered by her fledgeling yoki. Small, white teeth dug deep inside the Salarian defenceless hand and green blow flew from Carasin's right hand. The Salarian screamed in pain and surprise but did not relent, of the contrary.

"You little!" he swore to Raina. The other hand, the one still untouched, curled into a fist and hit Raina square in the face. Blood escaped from a now broken lip and the child collapsed on the ground with a weak cry.

"Want to behave like a Krogan? Fine, then I will treat you as one." snarled Carasin. His fist curled up once again and prepared to strike. The whole situation reminded to Raina the time when the Organization's handlers beat her and the other trainees senseless if the decision to disobey.

The child saw Carasin's fist coming toward her, aiming at her chest. The Salarian was so strong, and the fist so close. So so close.

Then, a second before reaching her body, Carasin's fist stopped on its track, just inches away from her chest. Raina thought for a second that it was some kind of torture, a way to break her mind! Something like, -I will hit you only whenever I desire and you shall never know when exactly-, stuff like that. But when Raina timidly opened her eyes and saw the small tendrils of biotic energies coursing along Carasin's arm and the utterly surprised expression of her captor, the child understood that the truth was far different.

"You know guys," said a voice coming from behind them "If there is something that I truly hate, are people hitting children." Raina's still terrified eyes darted toward the source of the voice, and the child now saw a human with brown skin and dressed in black fatigue. An outstretched arm was aimed at Carasin, alongside many tendrils of blue energy coursing from his body, and his face was a scowl of pure hate and disgust.

Raina knew that man, not well but she knew him! It was one of her mother's colleagues. His name was Jacob!

Another pair of hands gently ripped her away from the now immobilized Salarian. Raina instinctively reacted from this by screaming and kicking, but only until she saw the owner of said hands, and the worried expression leaking from her hidden face.

"Thanks to the Kami you are still alive, little princess." Kasumi told her softly "When Shepard warned us about what was happening, we feared the worst. It is over now."

Raina abandoned herself inside Kasumi's embrace. The fear, the pain, all the emotion swirling inside her body exploded in one desperate cry.

"It is not over!" shrieked Raina on Kasumi's shoulder, covering the thief's fabric with her tears. "Mum is still fighting with all these bad people, and Kelly….they shot her! They shot her and pinned her down! She told me to run, and stopped some of our trackers all while they hit her, and I….i."

"Ehi Ehi!" whispered Kasumi to her ears "Is over. We shall deal with them. Don't worry. We shall save them." the thief turned away from Raina for a moment "You heard her?"

"I did." said another voice. A female one.

Only now Raina noticed that Jacob and Kasumi were not the only ones here. All of her mother's colleagues were here with her. The scarred man, the alien doctor, the strange painted woman, the big and angry Krogan, everyone! All armed to the teeth and more than ready to fight!

Miranda moved toward the trapped Salarian, an unreadable expression plastered inside her face

"Current location of your people, and then the security codes of your radios. Now." She said. The trapped Salarian gritted his teeth and refused to answer.

"I have no times for this." replied Miranda annoyed "Mr Massani, break one of his legs."

"On it." replied the scarred man

"Ehi no! Stop! What are you" the sound of the butt of a gun breaking a bone reverberated in the air, quickly followed by a shriek of pure agony. One hand quickly covered Raina's eyes.

"You do not need to see this," whispered Kasumi to her.

"Codes and position. Now!" replied Miranda without any traces of emotion

"Fuck….you," said Carasin to her. Miranda sighed softly but nothing else. She simply turned toward Zaeed and pointed and Carasin's horns without saying a word.

"With pleasure." snickered the old mercenary. One of his gruff hands grabbed one of the Salarian's horns, ready to break it.

"No no no!" shrieked Carasin "Not the horns. Ok ok! You won human, happy!? He does not pay me enough for this shit anyway. Last time I saw Ghasvin, he was dealing with your human pal, some alleys away from here. The others are probably all dead right now, well they are if the reputation of that freak is not a scam. The codes for our radios and tracking devices are 008932-1 and 084319-2. Satisfied now?"

"Very. We are done here. Kasumi, you and Jacob escort Raina back to the ship. The others with me."

"What should we do about this bastard?" asked Zaeed while pointing at Carasin. Miranda looked at him as if the answer was obvious

"Kill him, of course."

"Wait for what?! I helped you! Just let me" One sphere of biotic energy, coming from Jack, hit Carasin square in the chest, overriding Jacob's control and slamming the unfortunate Salarian on the nearest wall. Such was the strength behind the attack that Carasin's body exploded like a ripe fruit, splattering the wall with green blood.

"Sorry for the mess cheerleader," said Jack to her companions when they turned toward her. There was a strange light inside the woman, one never saw by anyone before "But seeing him hitting Raina reminded me of when they did the same to me, when I was a Cerberus test lab, you know? I just had to do it."

Many eyebrows were raised after hearing such words, but no one dared to complain.

They had work to do, and so they moved.

* * *

Lena's hands were shaking. A pistol, one grabbed from one of the people she had killed mere minutes ago, was moving madly under her fingers all while her brain screamed at her to use it! To kill the four-eyed bastard in front of her that had dared to try and enslave her.

But she couldn't.

Because right now the same bastard she wanted to kill was holding Kelly hostage.

Lena had almost lost a beat the moment she saw her friend's state. Broken, battered, one leg heavily injured and her face marred with bruises and scrapes. On her knees, breathing heavily and a gun aimed at her skull.

"You humans always give us problems!" snarled Ghasvin back to her. He was pointing a gun at Kelly right now, ready to burst the girl's brain into a fine, red mist, and Lena could do nothing about it! She was not that fast, not even with her yoki.

"But now it is all over. In less than two minutes, a car will come here. When it shall arrive, we shall all enter inside it and be done with this place. Am I clear, slave?"

Lena's mind screamed in rage. How she wanted to crack that bastard's head like a ripe melon right now, but she forced the thought away.

She needed to wait for an opening, or create one.

"Where is my daughter?" asked instead "She is not with you."

"This bitch" replied Ghasvin angrily, pointing at Kelly "Tried her damnedest to stop me from grabbing your spawn, and gained a hole on her leg in the process, alongside some scrapes. But do not worry, one of my men is already moving toward her. Soon we shall be all together."

"Ghasvin, I will never submit to you." snarled Lena back to the Batarian.

"People always says this. -I will never submit, I will kill you for this!- You slaves have no fantasy. Once my collar, and the control chip inside it, will be around your neck, it will be all over for you. Besides, you do not want to see your little lover's head exploding, right?"

Lena's teeth grind against each other in rage. This was Aran's predicament all over again! Using someone she cared for as a shield against her, stopping her from moving or attacking.

-Not this time!- roared Lena to herself -This time it will not work!-

A plan formed inside Lena's mind. It was risky, and the actual chances of pulling it off were not massive, but it could work. She only had to be as convincing as possible.

Slowly, Lena grabbed the stolen gun with both hands and started raising it

"Stop! I am serious! I will kill her if" but Ghasvin immediately stopped talking, utterly surprised when he saw Lena moving the gun not toward him, but toward herself.

"You need me alive, right?!" asked Lena with a hint of amusement "It would be such a shame if I killed myself, right?"

All of Ghasvin's four eyes stared at Lena with utter surprise, and the Claymore heard a groan of utter desperation coming from Kelly's broken lips.

"You are lying." Ghasvin tried to see her bluff "I know that you can regenerate wounds, and even if you were not, you will not dare to leave your daughter alone."

Lena smiled cruelly at these words. This was a trick, as Ghasvin was suspecting, but not the one he was thinking no. Her plan was far different.

"Wanna bet?" taunted Lena. A second later, she pulled the trigger.

"Not, Lena!" the Claymore barely heard Kelly's desperate cry, her mind exploding under the sheer pain it was now suffering. The bullet, so close to her body, dug inside her skin and flesh like a scalding knife. Bone shuddered, flesh cracked and blood flew outside her gaping wound. Her yoki power instinctively kicked in, trying to repair the damage, but Lena abruptly stopped them.

-Not now!- she cried in her mind -Let….it….flow.-

Her flesh so used to simply mend itself together after years of battles, this time remained open and broken. Rivers of blood escaped from her gaping wounds, and Lena felt her strength flushing away from her body, droplet after droplet. She collapsed on her knees, her legs incapable of holding her anymore.

-Hurt...so….much.- Wheezed Lena, but she had to continue: Ghasvin's pistol was still aimed at Kelly's head.

At least now she knew just how much it sucked not being able to regenerate for normal beings.

Slowly, coughing blood from her lips, Lena collapsed on the ground, seemingly dead.

"No no no no!" shouted Ghasvin in absolute rage "It was not supposed to end like this. She was supposed to be mine." Full of anger, Ghasvin moved away from Kelly's trembling body and moved toward Lena, shouting at her.

"Wake up, you fucking whore! I said wake up! I haven't ordered you to die yet!"

He moved one of his legs toward Lena, with the purpose of kicking her corpse and in doing this, she completely left Kelly alone.

Just what Lena was waiting for.

"Wake up damn" Lena's body was suddenly drowned in yoki energies. Her entire body jerked and groaned like a living beast under a chain, regrowing and regenerating every damage suffered. Her skin became pitch black in less than a second, stronger than steel and ready to pounce.

Lena moved, but such was the speed locked inside her body that, to an untrained eye, it looked like a blur.

Her aim, Ghasvin.

The first hit shattered two of the slaver's ribs with a sickening sound, Lena's black fist burying itself deeply inside Ghasvin's light armour, shattering it as if it was made of glass. The second hit broke Ghasvin's mandible; with nothing to protect it, the damage was terrifying to behold.

One hand quickly grabbed the now screaming Batarian, easily holding its entire body with only one black arm.

"You were right!" said Lena to Ghasvin, her voice now nothing more than an inhuman growl "I cannot die that easily. Shame you failed to notice it."

The hand pinning Ghasvin in place suddenly lifted the Batarian as if he was made of paper. Ghasvin flayed and kicked desperately, hitting Lena's frame with all of its remaining strength, to no avail.

One punch shattered one of Ghasvin's eyes with a crunching sound. The second cracked its skull like a melon, the third snapped one of Ghasvin's arms like a twig.

Lena kept hitting and hitting, refusing to stop even for a second, covering the air with the sound of Ghasvin's body shattering under her blows.

Ghasvin died quickly, its body unable to endure such massive punishment, and yet still Lena hammered its body, her hunger for vengeance flowing like a raging river.

-This is for ruining my date.- Roared Lena in fury -This is for hurting her.- This is for scaring Raina. This is for attacking me. This is for being a slaver.-

Blood flew like a fountain, bones were shattered and pulverized, flesh moved and groaned under the impacts. It was a terrifying sight to watch.

"Lena stop! He is dead!" cried a horrified Kelly behind her, but her words were drowned by Lena's fury.

"Lena." Kelly tried to stop her friend from pummeling what was now just a bloody piece of meat dangling from her hands, so broken that Kelly swore she saw the eyes gouged out from their eyesockets only because Lena's fists were inflicting such pressure on the corpse. She grabbed one of Lena's shoulders, trying to reach her.

Lena's hyperactive senses reacted immediately by leaving Ghasvin's corpse and grabbing the stranger's hand, twisting it under her grip.

She almost twisted one of Kelly's hands without even noticing and one fist, one strong enough to break steel, moved toward Kelly's face. Only at the last second, she managed to stop herself, her fist an air breadth from Kelly's face.

"Lena." pleaded Kelly, tears on her eyes "Please, it is over! Stop."

Lena looked at Kelly's eyes, the fear swimming inside her green pupils, the way her skin was trembling in fear.

She saw the reflection of her body thought these terrified mirrors and retched in disgust at the sight. Pitch black skin, brutal muscles, monstrous sight.

Claymore.

Immediately, Lena freed Kelly from her grasp, and the girl coughed and sputtered in an effort to quickly regain her breath. The yoki inside Lena quickly retreated inside her body, a testament of the control she now possessed, but this did nothing to change the truth.

"Thank God you calmed down, Lena." wheezed Kelly weakly "You scared me for a second. Raina managed to escape, but she may still be in danger. You need to go Lena."

One pair of silver eyes turned toward Kelly, the pupils soaking in the image of Kelly's bleeding leg. Her face was unreadable but something in her posture scared her friend. Rigid, nervous, almost in tear.

"Lena?" tried to ask Kelly "Are you ok? Why...why are you still here?"

"You are hurt." simply replied Lena. There was something strange in her tone. As if a machine was speaking, not her "Because of me."

This was bad. This was very bad and Kelly tried to stem the problem

"Lena. Raina might still be in danger. You need to go."

This managed to bring some semblance of humanity back on Lena. A flicker of life moved back on her dead eyes, and her face moved by instinct away from Kelly, toward the Normandy.

"Yes... I must go. But not alone."

A pair of strong hands grabbed Kelly's body, strapping it on her back despite the girl's surprised squeaks of protests

"You come with me. I cannot let you die, I cannot."

"Die? Lena, I will be fine. Just leave me and"

"NO!"

the scream that escaped from Lena's lips left both girls speechless, and for a second no one dared to utter a single word. Then, faster than the wind, Lena darted toward the Normandy, where the Claymore had briefly felt Raina's faint yoki with such speed that Kelly almost lost her grip on Lena's shoulders

"None of you must die. Only I deserve this," whispered Lena while moving. Kelly heard these words and tried to ask her the meaning of this.

Her only answer was silence.

 **So, decent? Believable? Not good? Actually good? (I hope at least)**


	20. Chapter 15 Illium last day

**Chapter 16**

 **Illium. Last day**

 **Yes, I moved the scene between Kelly and Lena from after the scuffle between Lena and Ghasvin to inside the ship. It feels more appropriate this way as someone made me notice.**

 **Good reading everyone**

 **Illium. Residential districts. 25 march 2185. 09 21 local hour**

It was almost over: thanks to the intel relied on them by Liara the last night Shepard had discovered the location of Thane Krioss, the Drell Assassin and last entry on his files. Once again, the assistance of her former companion proved to be invaluable and, after a short battle inside a complex of buildings belonging to Nassana Dantius, Shepard finally managed to recruit the assassin inside his team. It was an odd fellow, this Thane: polite, quite silent, respectful, the exact contrary of what Shepard had expected from a man with the reputation of a merciless killer. Still, nothing could be said about his proficiency: a Drell that manage to infiltrate one of the most secure palace of Illium, move undetected through dozens of veteran mercenaries, top of the line mechs and cutting edge security systems and, last but not least, kill his quarry and all of the bodyguards surrounding the target in less than three seconds is a Drell worth recruiting.

All in all, this mission proved to be nothing more than a formality: they moved toward the target, put down the few idiots and mech that survived Thane's passing and still tried to stop them, reached the end of the palace and recruited their target without much of a fuss.

And yet, despite this stroke of good luck, everyone could see that something was nagging the back of commander Shepard's mind. The way he gripped his gun, the brisk movements he made while moving, the light scowl frowning his face from time to time, even the way he dispatched the enemy mercs inside the skyscraper were proof of this. Brisk and ruthless. Enough to worry the companions chosen for this mission.

"Shepard." quipped Kasumi behind the commander. Even the heavy hood the girl always used to cover her face could not hide the worry escaping from her face "Why the long face? The mission is over without a hitch. We got a new agent under our wing and everyone is fine. What is the problem?"

"You want to know?" replied Shepard darkly "Then take a look at this." and shoved the Omni-tool right into her face. The said Omni-tool that was now literally clogged in messages.

"Ten hours. No more than ten hours have passed since Lena's incident with that Batarian slaver, and I have already received two-thousands messages from across the entire galaxy! The Batarian Hegemony, the council of matriarchs, the Alliance high command, even the Migrant fleet has sent messages to me! All asking, pleading, ordering or flattering me into consigning Lena to them. Two fucking thousand, Kasumi!" Shepard's voice was nothing more than a growl at this point

"And this is not even the best part. I have also received reports from the Illium security centre, reports telling me that a literal tidal wave of bounty hunters, mercenaries and slavers is about to flood the planet. Guess why? Lena of course. Even the cursed council is asking me to come back to the Citadel. For a -briefing-, they said. Briefing my ass! They want to detain Lena with some excuse and are using me as bait. This is a mess Kasumi, and I doubt that even my Specter authority will save us if we remain for another day inside this cursed planet!"

Shepard's shoulders slumped heavily under the sheer amount of pressure he was currently feeling

"Liara was wrong. Illium is not simply heating up. It is about to fucking explode, and we are in the middle of the crater! EDI has informed me that only in the last three hours she had repelled two-hundreds hacking attempts on her main-frame and that more are coming. Add to all of this the fact that my secretary is currently in the infirmary, meaning that I have to deal with all this paperwork by myself and Liara seems obsessed with the Shadow Broker, to the point to literally demanding my help, and now maybe you will understand why I am feeling so tired."

"Is that bad, Shepard?" asked Zaeed behind them. Shepard simply looked at the old merc and sighted. Heavily.

"Well I will be damned!" whistled the old merc back at Shepard "The high and mighty of the galaxy united all together for one purpose: grabbing a goddam piece of that white ass."

"Damn straight. And this is also the reason why we are leaving this damn planet once this mission is over. We shall finish refurbishing the Normandy on the Citadel, where hopefully we shall have fewer mercs strapped on our asses. Let's move now, team! The sooner we end this mess the better."

Replied Shepard to his crew. The commander quickly closed his Omni-tool and darted once again toward Liara's office, opening a way through the still crowded streets of Illium, moving alongside people of all races, gender and age still milling around in the streets, moving for work or fun. In his mind, he hoped that what Liara wanted from him was nothing more than a quick job. Something to do in one minute just before going back to his oh so far bed.

Unfortunately, destiny had other plans in mind for him.

* * *

 **Normandy's infirmary. Same moment.**

A pair of silver eyes looked emotionlessly at Kelly's carefully couched frame. They dwelled on every inch of the girl's body, stopping especially at her wounded leg now carefully wrapped in a metal cage and covered in medi-gel.

They were alone, apart from EDI's constant presence. No one else had been wounded during the mission and doctor Chackwas was currently outside her infirmary, grabbing some much-needed rest after patching up Kelly's leg in the middle of what was her time off. Of course, like any self-respecting doctor, she quickly moved inside the infirmary without complaining once hearing about the emergency, but after two hours of complex working on Kelly's leg coupled with careful checkings, everyone could see the bags under her eyes and no one dared to stop her from hitting her bed once she was reasonably sure that her patient was out of danger.

Not a single word escaped from Lena's lips, content to simply watch over Kelly with the zeal of a loyal hawk, silent and deadly.

Definitively not what she had expected when Kelly asked EDI to summon her.

"Ehm….Lena" Kelly tried to break the ice "I heard that in the end, Miranda's squad found Raina before it was too late. How is she?"

"Fine," replied Lena curtly, her voice laced with neither the anger nor annoyance Kelly would have expected after such an ordeal. Truth to be told, Kelly sensed no emotion at all, something that unnerved her evermore.

Some tense seconds passed, Lena still refused to speak back to Kelly and the whirring of the machines was the only sound heard inside the infirmary, until Kelly decided to have another go.

"So, feeling better?"

"I survived." another laconically replies, but this time Kelly lost her temper.

"Then, would you kindly tell me what is wrong with your head?! You look like an automaton Lena, and I do not enjoy speaking with a person incapable of using more than two words per sentence. Have I made you angry somehow? Are you angry? In distress? Talk to me!" replied Kelly to Lena, her hands moving angrily on the air in an effort to stem her annoyance.

Lena's mood still refused to change, with nothing on her posture showing any sign of distress, of pain or even annoyance. She simply kept looking at Kelly with the composure of a statue, scanning every inch of her wounded body, betraying no emotions from her silvery eyes. Kelly sighed in defeat and almost scoffed at Lena when, all of a sudden, the Claymore spoke

"Why are you still worried about me Kelly?" asked Lena simply

This was the last sentence Kelly had expected to hear

"Sorry what?" she asked flabbergasted. In response, Lena approached her friend and touched her wounded leg with the delicacy of a feather. truth to be told Kelly felt a shiver down on her spine when she felt Lena's hand but managed to hide it quite well.

"I said, why are you still worried about me?" repeated Lena, this time with a bit more emotion in her voice

"Why should I not?" replied Kelly, not understanding the reason behind these words. Lena did not answer immediately. Instead, one of her fingers moved toward Kelly's leg and poked at the cast holding her leg still

"Why? Have you seen the state of your leg lately? Have you already forgot that you are here, in the infirmary, because of me?" Now Lena's emotionless tone was gone, replaced by a sound akin to a clap of thunder, reverberating inside the small infirmary with the strength of a storm

"You almost died Kelly, and before coming here EDI told me that you will be stuck here for an entire week, all because of me!"

The white hand on Kelly's leg traced the cast's silhouette, where Lena knew now lie a long, thin scar scampering through most of her calf

"This" pointed Lena "Is my fault, and it is my fault because monsters like me should never mingle with humans."

Kelly almost chocked on her air after hearing this declaration but Lena stopped her, refusing to hear any words coming from her

"What?! No Lena, you are wrong in this! You should not"

"You almost died Kelly!" she snapped back "And this happened because you were with me! Just like back on the island, anyone that comes near a Claymore like me risk death! For your good, you must forget about me, Kelly."

Without saying another word, Lena turned away from Kelly and started moving toward the exit, uncaring of Kelly's surprised gasp

"Farewell Kelly. Thanks for everything," she whispered next to the door but, a second before she could open it, a voice behind her stopped her in her tracks

"Lena! Stop your bloody legs and turn toward me. NOW!" it was Kelly's voice, but different. Angry and full of authority. Now that she thought of it, had Lena ever heard Kelly raising her voice since she had seen her inside the Normandy?

Reluctantly, Lena turned away from the door and looked at Kelly. She was still laid down on her medical bed, but her eyes were now blazing with fury.

Yes. This was definitively new.

"Good. Now come here! And do not utter a single word. Am I clear?" snarled Kelly again, and again Lena obeyed, too surprised by Kelly's sudden change to even try to protest. The Claymore approached Kelly uncertainty, unsure about what to do, and lowered her head toward Kelly.

Then, right into that moment, Kelly slapped her in the face. Hard.

It was a comical sight. Like looking at an angry kitten biting and clawing against an old wolf, with the wolf too stunned by the look to it to even try to react.

Lena jerked instinctively, more out of surprise than true pain. Her right cheek was throbbing right now and her silver eyes widened in utter surprise.

"Kelly...what?" she tried to ask, but Kelly quickly stopped her

"Save it! Save me your self-wallowing bullshit Lena. Today I am not in the mood!" snapped Kelly back to the Claymore "I tried to be gentle, to help you recover from your traumas. God himself is the testimony that I tried my best, but enough is enough!" One hand grabbed Lena's face, uncaring of the fact that her body was still tied to the medical bed. Many straps and medical devices protested to this with a loud beeping, but Kelly simply ignored them.

"You are not a monster. Would you kindly shove this idea inside that thick skull of yours already? Yes, you are different from the average human and, as a soldier, you kill people for a living! Big fucking surprise! Should I treat you differently from Jacob and Shepard only because you do it with a sword instead of a rifle?! And before you retort" effectively Lena was trying to muster her words for a comeback, only to be stopped by Kelly once again "You are not all that different from Shepard. With all the enhancements and modifications Cerberus used for reconstructing him, I doubt he can be still dubbed as a human. The less is said about what truly happened to Miranda or Jack, the better. Do you see them as monstrosities?"

Lena's flabbergasted face barely managed to move in denial.

"Then is the same for you. For the love of God why do you still refuse to see it?" a finger stabbed Lena's chest. She knew that the wound was long gone, not even a scar left, but that was the place where Lena had shot herself to save her "A monster is a soulless creature caring only for herself, but you? You could have left me alone, just ran toward the ship and forget about me. Instead, you stood your ground and protected both me and Raina without hesitation. Hell! You took a fucking bullet for me. These are the action of a good person, Lena. Just accept it."

"But you still got hurt because of me!" tried weakly to protest Lena, pointing at her injured leg "I am their target and you ended in the crossfire."

"So fucking what?" replied Kelly hotly "Hello? Earth to Lena! maybe no one told you, but we are hunting the Collectors! We are hunting down the most dangerous species of the galaxy with only a light frigate and no other support whatsoever. Every day we venture in the space we risk our life my dear, and you are worried about me dying because of a pathetic slaver? Besides yes, yesterday I risked my life, but you were here for me, so is all right."

Lena could not believe in what she was hearing. A single tear escaped from her silver eyes, her stony gaze now completely shattered by Kelly's offensive. Something that her friend quickly noticed and used to press the attack

"And monsters do not cry, Lena" continued Kelly relentless. One hand delicately snatched Lena's tear and showed it to the Claymore as a trophy while the other grabbed Lena's right hand "But what I see here are tears. Now, promise me this. Promise me that you will stop this charade. That you will finally look at yourself and see a human in the mirror, not a monster."

"I….i"

"Promise me, Lena!" Kelly's grip on Lena tightened in reaction, to the point that it almost hurt Lena.

"Ok ok!" shouted Lena, still dazed and confused "I promise you, Kelly. I will do as you say."

A kind smile finally reappeared on Kelly's face and the girl freed Lena from her grasp.

"Good!" wheezed the girl, the rage coursing from her body finally dissipated. "Then stop looking at me with that face. You needed to hear this cold shower sooner or later. Changing argument, what happened to all the dresses we had to leave during our escape?"

"Ehm...well, Illium security guards found most of them and brought them back to the Normandy, although some of them are still missing."

"Oh really!?" replied Kelly with a smirk "Are you telling me that the Illium security lost some of the dresses we bought? And the lost dresses are, all by coincidence, the risqué ones that made you blush like a schoolgirl back on the outlet? Am I right?!"

"Ehm...well...something like… that yes!" stammered Lena trying to gather a response

"All available agents reporting on the bridge!" announced EDI's voice all of a sudden

"Saved by the bell," commented Kelly snarky

"I...i have to go Kelly. Will be back as soon as I can." stammered Lena back, grateful for this unexpected assist

"Yes yes. Runaway from me, but this is not over." shouted Kelly back to the Claymore, just a second before she disappeared "Once I am out of here, I am gonna make an accurate inventory of what was irretrievably lost, and buy it back on the double. Clear?"

Lena's only answer was a very unladylike yelp.

* * *

 **One minute later. Inside the briefing room**

"The situation is simple: the recruitment mission is over and success. Shepard has informed me that soon we will receive a visit from our new Drell candidate, but ten minutes ago Shepard also informed me that a Shadow Broker's agent has just attacked our Asari informer, Liara T'soni. The commander moved to investigate alongside another Spectre, only to discover some minutes later that said Spectre was a traitor working for the Shadow Broker itself. According to the last message, they are now in pursuit of this Spectre all while being constantly harassed by the Shadow Broker's army and requesting support."

Miranda's voice curtly informed the rest of the squad all while a hololitic generator displayed a map of Shepard's current position. According to the map, Shepard was currently pursuing this runaway Spectre, this Vasir, across the highly trafficked space roads of Illium with a Taxi of all machines, all while being constantly followed and hammered by enemy gunships showing an unknown signature. It almost sounded like a joke, but no one wanted to laugh right now, let alone Lena.

There was a new soldier in town. The Justicar that Shepard had just recruited was here with them, looking silently with her crystal eyes to the map, and Lena had to admit that the Asari was impressive in her way. The pattern of her armour, the simple way she moved, the clarity on her eyes, all signs screaming to Lena that this Asari was not your average run of the mill soldier. There was also a strange, menacing aura all around her. A feeling that she felt only once when glancing at some armoured zealots guarding the doors of the baptistery back on the city of Rabona, only cranked up to eleven with this Asari.

Definitely not someone she wanted to have as an enemy.

"We will take two of the interceptor class drop-ships we have in the hangar, and close into the fleeing Spectre in a pinching manoeuvre." The hololitic image inside the room changed in a predictive algorithm prepared by EDI, shoving both Shepard and the fleeing Specter's predicted movements, alongside Miranda's designed interception course. "There is the possibility that either Shepard or the target drop back on the ground before we manage to catch them, so keep a coded channel open in case of sudden changes of plans. I will command the first squad, Jacob the second. Doctor Solus, you are with me. Jack, Samara with Jacob. Any questions?"

"Yes, one." replied Lena to Miranda "What am I supposed to do? I know that Garrus is busy recalibrating the new gun, and Tali is working on the new systems, but I am free, and yet you didn't involve me in the group."

"Because you are not coming, Lena. You stay inside this time."

The room became deathly quiet

"And why?" asked Lena back to Miranda. Truth to be told, this was a mild reaction compared to the words she felt a second before. Still, the tension in her words was unmistakable, especially for an old fox like Miranda

"Lena, have you already forgotten what happened just some hours ago? Sending you out of a mission on Illium is not an option right now." replied simply Miranda but Lena refused to accept such excuse.

"But that mess happened because I was unharmed, and accompanied by Kelly. This time we will be out as a team, armed to the teeth and ready for anything!" she tried to counter, in vain.

"Lena, the last report I have received informed me that an army of mercs is waiting outside the door of the Normandy, ready to jump at the occasion of abducting you, and they don't care if you are under a Spectre's protection. This is not a matter of being alone or being armed. The truth is that, right now, you are a liability."

"But"

"This is not up for debating Lena!" interrupted Miranda briskly "Shepard's orders are for you to not leave the Normandy, no matter what happens outside, and you will obey. So Lena, here is what you shall do: you are gonna stay put, greet the new member of the crew, and avoid doing anything stupid. Is that clear?"

Lena's mouth twitched in impotent rage, desiring nothing more to shove Miranda's words back inside her mouth alongside some of her teeth, but still, she remained silent.

"Is that clear?" repeated Miranda. Her tone was still calm, but now a steely edge accompanied her words and one of her fists closed in a grip, ready to disgorge Biotic energy if necessary

"Clear, Miranda. I will wait inside the ship." relented Lena in the end, defusing the situation

"Good." Miranda turned toward the rest of the squad, the incident already forgotten inside her mind, and finished her briefing.

Lena simply stood still, her breathing now ragged and her legs refusing to leave the briefing room, listening to pointless tactical data and possible plans. Her mind still reeled about the idea of being an actual prisoner inside the ship, to the point that when Miranda and the rest of the squad moved toward the hangar, the Claymore barely noticed it. Only when Jack gave her a light pack on the shoulder, a simple gesture of sympathy, Lena managed to awake herself from her self induced coma, but still refused to move, only allowing herself to look at her companions moving away without her, thinking about Miranda's words.

It took five minutes for Lena to finally regain her speech, and it happened when the room was long empty.

"A liability." she whispered finally "Hundreds of bounty hunters baying for my blood, and dozens of hacking attempts, just because I am a Claymore. Even worse than back on the island." with each word Lena's rage boiled, even more, threatening to explode at a moment notice. She tried to defuse it, using some tricks learned from Kelly like counting until ten but failed miserably.

"Fucking hell!" she cried in the end when she reached the breaking point. Her eyes shifted back to her golden form without control, and one of her fists hit the walls of the briefing room.

An entire tile folded under the blow.

* * *

 **Azure Palace. 41 minutes later. Azure palace's terrace**

Shepard was starting to hate this damned planet. As a Spectre and a former Alliance officer, he knew that no plan survives the enemy contact and that a person like him should always maintain a calm composure and a clear mind to inspire his subordinates.

But God how much he wanted to scream fuck it to everyone and leave this dustball as far away as possible right now!

"Thermal clips down. Now! Or the girl dies!" shouted the traitor in front of them, and she meant it.

In response, Shepard snarled back at the traitorous spectre, an Asari matron called Tela Vasir, and the reason she was not already a riddled mess on the floor: the young girl she had taken as a hostage.

The situation was bad: he couldn't afford to let the hostage die, he would never forgive himself and judging by how much-said hostage, a human waitress in her mid-twenties, was hyperventilating under Vasir's gaze, there was not much time left! If only he had come a little faster.

The traitor, Tela Vasir, had given both him and his squad one hell of a chase, as expected from a veteran Spectre. From the discovery about Vasir's betrayal to the subsequent chase, it had all been a rollercoaster of emotion for Shepard. First, he, Liara and his squad tailed Vasir across half of Illium's commercial district in a mad game of cat and mouse where the roles changed every single second. Then Vasir reached her car, a heavily armoured hovercar with who knows how many enchantments, and ran away in the skies of Illium, forcing Shepard, Liara and Kasumi to pursue her with a borrowed Taxi of all machines. During said pursue they almost died because, for some damnable reason, Vasir's car was equipped with mines that almost destroyed the car and, last but not least, after finally managing to make her collide with a pleasure palace. The place itself when they ended was called Azure, nothing more than a glorified brothel packed to the brim with promenades, small rooms, bars, love hotel and even less savoury places. Currently, Shepard and his squad were on the terrace os said place, together with dozens of now fleeing patrons, broken umbrellas and shattered glasses. There was even a small swimming pool, now deserted.

And last but lot least, when Vasir's car collided with the palace and the Asari ratted her way out from her smoking wreck, the bitch still managed to take a fleeing waitress of the said palace as a hostage!

God, how much Shepard wanted to be done with this day! But he could not afford to stop right now. He had a hostage situation to defuse, and thankfully he already knew how to do thanks to Liara.

At least they were still able to understand each other without a word. Shepard took that small consolation from the pile of bullshit he was forced to endure today.

"Liara." whispered Shepard to her friend next to him "Ready to act?"

"I need a minute" replied Liara, one of her hand behind her back and glowing with blue energy. Shepard smirked and moved his eyes back to Vasir. The Spectre was bleeding heavily from a variety of small wounds, and her blue and white armour was dented and cracked, but unfortunately, her eyes were still well focused on him and Shepard knew that he could not afford a single mistake.

"Is this your plan?" asked Shepard to Vasir, his tone cocky and calm. Vasir for a second lost her cool and looked back at Shepard with utter surprise

"Are you kidding Shepard? I am serious about her! Drop them or" replied Vasir to Shepard, only to be stopped on her track

"Vasir, I killed hundreds of people during my life and done many dangerous things." snapped Shepard back "I killed the Thorian back on Feros, I allowed the last of the Rachni queen to wander freely across the universe. I ordered the sacrifice of the entire Alliance main fleet in an effort of saving the council. So for your good, I hope that your chance of survival does not rest of the possibility that I will shoot or not a cursed hostage!"

The waitress's eyes bulged in fear and a loud rasp of terror escaped from her trembling lips, while Vasir's ones looked back at Shepard with doubts and uncertainty. Behind them, a large metal table, silently raised by Liara, started moving toward the wounded Spectre.

"You are lying Shepard. You will never do that." tried to reply Vasir, but now her voice had lost the steely edge of before. Shepard smiled at this. A cold, savage smile.

"True. Liara!"

The table smacked Vasir with such strength and power that the weakened Asari immediately lost her grip on her hostage, allowing her to escape from Vasir's grip. The Asari swore and staggered under the blow, incapable of maintaining a grip.

Vasir swore and staggered. Such was the strength behind the blow that the wounded Asari failed to keep a steady grip on her feet, the momentum of the strike powerful enough to make her tumble far away from her starting place. Immediately Shepard and his squad fired at her position once they saw her without her convenient human shield, but Vasir was not done yet and managed to somehow dodge most of the bullet until she reached the small pool and launched herself inside it.

"Secure the area!" bellowed Shepard once he saw Vasir disappearing inside the water "And move the civilians away! I doubt this mess is over!"

Immediately Kasumi complied to her orders, while Liara accompanied him toward the pool, weapon ready and scanning the now murky water.

It was a small pool, circular in structure and surrounded by comfy chairs and small tables, now deserted and scattered. The water was murky and disturbed, but Shepard could see that someone was still moving inside, right in the centre.

Shepard aimed his heavy pistol at the still moving water, ready to blast the damn Asari into oblivion and be done with this mess.

What else could she do at this point, he wondered, so wounded and defenceless?

The answer come when the blue glow of biotic power shimmered inside the end of the pool, followed by a literal tidal wave that almost managed to sweep aside both him and Liara like pieces of wood.

Shepard swore loudly, his armour now stained and her vision blurred by droplets upon droplets of water. When his hands cleared the murky water away from her eyes, he saw Vasir. Floating in the air, biotic energy coruscating from her purple blood, her armour broken and shuddering under her powers, and two balls of biotic energy ready to strike.

"Ok, Shepard. Now I am officially done with you." she sneered back at Shepard, her eyes blazing with pure power and her small wounds dripping purple droplets of blood mixed with biotic energy.

"Just die!"

Two spheres of blue energy darted toward Shepard, and the commander only barely managed to avoid them by ducking away. Thank God he did, because the moment the biotic attack collided with the concrete, they tore apart metal and stone with contemptuous ease, opening a hole bigger than his entire head.

Shepard buckled away and ducked for cover while all around him pieces of furniture flew and exploded under Vasir's power. He snarled loudly at all of this and, for the eleventh time, he wished to have never come inside this cursed planet.

* * *

 **Normandy Sr2. Mess hall. 11 29 ship hour**

"You know, I had my suspicions when they talked about the last recruit." said Lena to her new guest inside the mess hall "A lonely, professional Drell assassin with perfect knowledge of any enemy's weakness, and great marksman to booth. There aren't that many Drell with such references in the universe."

"And you were right in your suspicion, my old apprentice. I am glad to see that you are still alive." replied the person in front of her, the infamous Thane Krioss and latest recruit among Shepard's crew, currently busy sipping tea from a cup next to him. "How is Raina doing? I hope that nothing happened to her."

"She is fine, thanks for asking" replied Lena with a smile, the rage endured just some minutes ago evaporated at the sight of an old, friendly face. The last thing she had expected when ordered to greet the recruit was to see his most trusted and amicable mentor ever met back on Omega.

He looked exactly just how he had left him back on that cursed station: dark green-scaled skin with big, black orbs capable of looking directly at your soul. Gentle smile coupled with iron hands, and his unmistakable black leather jacket covering most of the body.

Too bad that he was not wearing his sunglasses. She loved the way they complimented him

"She is currently busy learning engineering from the ship's engineers. Heard she is giving them quite the surprise."

"Raina has potential, and it is good that you, as her parent, are allowing her to unleash it. She will turn into a fine young woman once the time shall come."

Something in Thane's words gave Lena pause. A strange, inexplicable sadness that left the Claymore at a loss for word for a second, seconds where the only sound they could hear was the clanging of platters and the sounds of people speaking all around them

"Thane," she asked Lena some seconds later, her tone now serious "Why are you here with us? You never strike me as the suicidal type, and this mission's chances of success are….slim."

"I know this. Shepard warned me about this, but at this point, I could not care less," answered Thane to Lena, a sad smile escaping from his lips

"I am dying Lena. Kepral's syndrome. An incurable disease that destroys a Drell's lungs."

Lena's eyes bulged in surprise after hearing these words. A drop of hot chocolate she was drinking from her cup escaped from her now startled lips

"I….i" stammered Lena back to Thane, at a complete loss for words "I am….sorry Thane. You do not deserve this."

"You are wrong in this." replied Thane to her with tranquil voice "I have done many things during my life, Lena. Terrible things. Because of this, my soul is no longer whole, and this is the price for such a sin."

Lena scoffed but refused to say anything back. He knew that Thane was, unlike her, a deeply religious person and he respected him enough to not challenge what was for her a load of complete bullshit. Still, he was unnerved by Thane's apparent acceptance of death. This was not the Drell he remembered.

"So this is why you accepted this mission?" asked Lena trying to understand Thane's reasons "For redemption? Salvation?"

"For repayment." replied Thane to Lena "Every sin must be repaid. For every new death, I must ask for forgiveness, and every innocent life must be saved. For this reason, I accepted to help Commander Shepard in his crusade."

"Stop talking like this Thane." grimaced Lena "You are not gonna die here. Shepard is a competent commander and you one hell of a fighter. I still remember how you always managed to overpower me during our training despite the clear difference in strength."

Thane smiled at this. A sad, loving smile but did not reply to Lena. Like a father consoling his child.

"Even if I do not die here, during this mission, my destiny is clear Lena," said Thane "And I will not escape from it."

* * *

Shepard was tired. He was bleeding slightly from God knows how many small wounds and his hands felt like a pair of broken rocks. Around him his companions were faring no better, with Kasumi being treated with medi-gel by a kneeling Liara and Zaeed loudly cursing in cockney, a new scar now adorning his ruined face.

But at least the battle was finally over.

Defeating Vasir had been one of the hardest battle ever fought by Shepard in all his life, and this included the first contact war, the hunt for Saren and the fight against the Torian! The sheer, unbridled biotic power of the rogue spectre coupled with her outstanding training, experience and top of the line gadgets meant that even in her weakened state the Asari managed to put up one hell of a fight. Biotic charges, biotic traps, precise bursts of firing, collateral damages, Vasir used every trick in the book in the effort of winning the battle and almost managed to kill Kasumi with a well placed biotic bullet.

But in the end, she failed. Even one like her could not avoid the literal hailstorm of bullets that invested her during the fighting, especially when Miranda's and Jacob's squad arrived to seal the deal. First a sniper wound, then a hail of pistol bullets, then a biotic attack. Little by little Shepard's team whittled her down, destroying shields and armour until finally, the soft flesh was ripe for the picking and a shotgun shell fired by Shepard tore her right arm from her body. A wound like this would have killed a weaker woman, but Vasir somehow managed to keep her cool and still tried to blast Shepard with her faltering biotics, to the point that he had to pummel her into submission with the butt of his weapon.

A real tough bitch, as Zaeed quickly pointed out.

"Miranda, take your squad and make sure that no one disturbs us for now. Mordin, take the place of Liara and check for wounds. The rest still on alert, in case Shadow Broker's goons tries something nasty."

"Yes Shepard, but you? You look like hell," replied Miranda to Shepard while pointing at the marks and scratches that adorned his armour

"It is better than it looks" smiled Shepard "The armour stopped most of the blows, and the implants inside me have already compensated for what managed to get through."

A burst of slow, broken laughter coming from the still bleeding body of Vasir replied to Shepard's words. The Spectre was still alive, although on her last legs, and chuckled humorlessly in front of Shepard.

Blood spurted from her lips, leaking out a mixture of laughing and scoffing.

"Better implants….and a ship. Is this the reason you...betrayed the council Shepard?" she wheezed darkly "For more strength?"

Shepard dismissed Miranda with a gesture and crouched next to Vasir, his expression unreadable

"I betrayed no one Vasir. Unlike you that sold yourself to the Shadow Broker, I am merely using Cerberus for my own goals: saving the colonies on the Terminus systems. Every scrap of intel I receive during our missions goes directly to both the Council and the Alliance and, the moment this task will be over, I will not hesitate to ditch them."

Vasir laughed even harder when hearing these words, or at least she tried to. Flecks of purple blood escaped from her shattered lips, but her eyes betrayed glints of cruel amusement.

"Idiot…..you stupid, gullible….idiot!" she spat back at him "I know everything...about your squad and mission! You think…. The Illusive man care….about some colonists!? Think about it! The strongest….mercenaries…..the greatest warriors….the bravest thieves….dozens of talents that would never….work with Cerberus….now all together under one ship. One ship constantly monitored by their agents. They are learning many things thanks to you. Terrible….things."

The arm still attached to Vasir's body darted toward Shepard, grabbing his neck and dragging it toward her face with surprising strength. Shepard stumbled under the attack, utterly surprised by this move, and all of a sudden he was a hair's breadth from Vasir's broken face

"Especially the Ripper." she whispered with her last breath "Thanks to you…..soon….she will not be…..the only one."

This last phrase hit Shepard with the strength of a thunderstruck. The commander grabbed Vasir's head with both hands and kept her in her place, demanding her attention.

"What do you mean with that? Speak!" he shouted, but it was too late. Vasir's eyes became glassy and unfocused, all while she kept sputtering and coughing blood. A few seconds later, the Asari's head slowly tilted on a side, finally dead.

"Fucking hell!" cursed Shepard while letting Vasir's body slumping away. With heavy steps, she moved toward Jacob and ordered all the squads to go back inside the ship as soon as they were done with the wounded, but without him.

He had two things to do before coming back to the ship. Things that she needed to do alone.

They must have seen something in his eyes, because no one dared to complain or ask questions, not even Miranda and, n less than five minutes, all of Shepard's squad members were gone, leaving the commander alone on the terrace of Azure with the company of a Specter's corpse and Liara, waiting for the authorities.

-Good.- he thought Shepard once he saw the twin space shuttles moving away with her squadmates

-And now that I am alone, off to the first task.-

"Liara, we need to talk." declared Shepard to her friend.

"Just a second Shepard." replied the girl, now busy rummaging over Vasir's corpse. Shepard saw her ripping away the Spectre's omni-tool from her lifeless body without hesitation, all while trying to hack its security systems, something that made Shepard gulp in surprise.

-The old Liara would have never done such a thing.- he thought sadly

"No Liara. We need to talk now!" replied Shepard more forcefully "About your obsession with the Shadow Broker."

Liara immediately stopped moving, Shepard's words cutting deeply in her mind, only to raise from her position and look at Shepard's eyes without any shreds of emotion

"Stop right now Shepard. I already know what you are about to say: you have changed, you have become crueller, more ruthless and brutal." said Liara to Shepard with neutral voice "And the truth is, I know this. I know and I do not care in the slightest."

"But why!?" asked Shepard trying to understand what had happened to her old friend "What did the Shadow Broker to justify such a change in you?"

"He tried to sell you!" almost shouted Liara in response and, in all due honesty, that was not the answer Shepard had expected. Not in the slightest

"Sorry what?" whispered Shepard, not believing in what he just heard. Liara scoffed at this

"Two years ago," she began to explain "after your official funeral, I discovered that the Broker's agents were looking for your spaced body, for unknown reasons. This spurred me to investigate, of course. I could not let that bastard do whatever he wanted with your corpse, and my investigations lead me to something almost impossible to believe: the Shadow Broker wanted your body because he wanted to sell it to the Collectors."

If Shepard had been surprised before, now he was completely flabbergasted. His mouth hung open for some seconds, refusing to believe in what he just heard.

"But….why?" he asked Shepard, failing to see the point

"Credits" simply answered Liara "Once you died, the Collectors offered an astronomic sum for your corpse Shepard. You have no idea about the mess it generated in the Terminus system, or about the impossible backflips I had to do to save you from his damned clutches. I lost a good friend that day. But when everything was over, when you were finally free from the Broker's clutches, I was forced to handle you to Cerberus."

"You handed my corpse to Cerberus? So that is how they did snatch me. Miranda always refused to reveal me the details about my recovery."

"Yes Miranda." muttered Liara to herself, as if remembering something in the past "That cold-blooded bitch is still alive, but they promised to resurrect you, that is why I have accepted." a mournful look painted Liara's face after remembering such memories

"The thought of handing your body to that despicable organization haunted my dreams for months, but what they offered, your resurrection was so….so"

"Hey, it is alright Liara" gently chided Shepard "In the end, everything went out for the better. Still, there is one missing link that needs to be solved: why are you still so hell-bent in killing the Shadow Broker?"

"Because of all the pain he caused to me!" replied angrily Liara "I almost died because of his damnable agents. Dozens of innocents died only because they were close to me during the assassination attempts! He forced me to hand your body to Cerberus of all people! And Feron, he….he"

Liara's fist smouldered of biotic energy all of a sudden, such was the rage coursing through her mind

"He must pay Shepard. Today's attempt was only the last one of a long list Shepard. For all the pain he inflicted, and the people he murdered in cold blood, the Shadow must die."

"I see." reasoned Shepard after hearing these words "At least now I understand your rage and single-mindedness." the commander placed one hand on Liara's shoulders "I will try to ask the Illusive Man about the Shadow's whereabouts, but promise me this: if one day you manage to actually find him, call me. I refuse to see you charging the Broker's base all by yourself, and besides, I now want to have a chat with the bastard that tried to sell me to the Collectors. A chat involving a missile launcher."

Liara smiled at this. The first actual smile in days witnessed by Shepard.

"I will remember that, but I must go now, Shepard. You might be a Spectre, but if the Illium security find me in the middle of all this mess, and I wish to decrypt Vasir's data core as soon as possible."

"Not a problem Liara. Just one thing" replied Shepard gently "Vasir, before dying, told me something disturbing. She implied that Cerberus is creating other warriors like Lena somewhere in the galaxy."

"The Ripper?" asked Liara

"Yes, the Ripper. Coming from anyone else I would say bullshit, but Vasir was not a someone. She was a Spectre with the weight of the Shadow Broker behind her, and the way she spoke to me told me that it was not a lie. Could you keep an ear out in case you discover something about it?"

"Of course Shepard. If I discover something I will immediately tell you." the sounds of sirens quickly reached the ears of Liara, spurning her into moving once again

"I hope to meet you once again during better circumstances Shepard," she said before disappearing "Good look!"

"Same for me Liara." whispered Shepard to herself once her friend was gone "Same for me."

-Good!- thought Shepard once he was alone once again -Now for the other thing to do.-

Shepard activated his comm bead locked inside his right ear, clicking a specific set of commands that ripped away from the connection between the Normandy and himself. The code now rigged inside the minuscule machine was an old one, one used two years ago during the hunt for Saren and unknown by most people. Most important of all, a code unknown by EDI and anyone else inside the ship but two.

A voice quickly flickered inside his ears, replying to his call, followed by another.

"Shepard?" asked both Garrus and Tali in unison "This the old code. Why are you using it? Why now?"

"Garrus, Tali, listen very carefully to me." replied Shepard to them, his voice accepting no reply "Tomorrow at eleven o'clock, you shall come inside my cabin without telling anyone the reason. Make sure to bring every possible disrupting program with you. What we shall say, must not exit the room."

 **Well, ladies and gentlemen, the Illium arc is officially over! Next time, Tuchanka!**

 **As always, comment if you see something that can be improved, or simply if you particulary liked or disliked, and have fun.**


	21. Chapter 16 Tuchanka the trial

**Chapter 16**

 **Tuchanka. The Trial.**

 **Normandy Sr 2. 9 41 ship hour. Training room**

The sound of fighting reverberated inside the Normandy's training room. Loud, banging noises followed by short grunts of pain and heavy breaths. Nothing uncommon, considering the place.

Here, in this small, retrofitted room placed in the lower decks, Shepard and his crew regularly trained and fought together or against each other in mock combats to improve their already amazing combat capabilities. Holographic dummies, shooting grounds, arenas, punching bags, the room may be considered little compared to other training facilities in the galaxy (barely thirty square meters large) but no one ever felt constricted by this, apart from Grunt from time to time. Shepard had devised a cyclical regime where every single agent of the Normandy could train for three hours a day if he wanted and still allowing everyone to participate. By pairing his agents in groups of three, everyone managed to have a go inside the training facility without sacrificing an hour of sleep or work, mostly thanks to EDI that supervised the cycles and always managed to merge the small groups without ever creating confusion or dissension among the agents. Always managing to avoid clashes between training and their routines.

One of many assets of being an AI.

Today the first group was a new one among the Normandy's routine, an experiment of sort decided by EDI after some minutes of rapid calculation.

The first one of the group was Kasumi; the second one Lena and the third one…

Lena flew across the air like a piece of paper, the strength behind the attack powerful enough to make even someone like her lose her footing. The Claymore hit the metal floor with a dry sound and Lena felt all her breath escaping from her lungs. Years of battle immediately kicked in and Lena drove the pain away from her brain, her body rilling away from her place, just before a gloved fist hit the floor with a thunderous sound, exactly where Lena was standing a second ago. Snarling in pain, Lena attacked his enemy once again, using every trick in her book at her disposal: quick kicks followed by sharp jabs, elbow strikes, head butts, all tried in an apparent disorder to surprise her attacker.

She failed. Any attack, any strike, any move, her enemy saw it thought them and parried the blows effortlessly, bypassing her attempts with consummate expertise like a warrior humouring a toddler.

"You have been slacking," said the enemy in front of her, still so insufferably untouchable. Even her abnormal strength was useless against him, diverted and moved away with quick, practised movements.

"This is unacceptable. You need to practice even more."

Then, he moved for the kill.

Lena never saw the hand that broke her jaw. Nor the punch that hit her stomach. She only felt them when it was too late, her body wheezing in pain. Wobbly, her breath escaped from her panicked lungs, the Claymore tried one last, desperate attempt at fending off her attacker. It was another failure: the Claymore felt a strong hand grabbing her weakened fist in mid-air, twisting it with practised ease while another fist grabbed her right shoulder joint and locked it in an inescapable stranglehold.

"Aargh!" cried weakly Lena when she felt her wrist breaking under the pressure. Her focus was lost under the pain now emanated from her broken bones, and the enemy quickly capitalized on this.

One quick hit on her legs and she was once again on the floor, her footing lost but this time a rough hand gripped her neck and hairs.

"And now I break your neck. I won." stated calmly the person in front of her. Lena snarled weakly toward him but did nothing more. Instead, her mind raced back in time, adding this defeat to the dozens already suffered under his damnable, slimy hands. Too many defeats.

Oh! How Lena hated all of this: being weak, helpless, nothing more than a mewling child under his prowess and ability, but what could she do?! She was a Claymore, goddesses' sake! She was supposed to be far beyond normal humans, or aliens for that matter. To be an unstoppable juggernaut of strength and power, capable of swatting people away like leaves on the wind. And yet that insufferable, stone-faced bastard always managed to defeat her in a hand to hand contest despite all of her training and exercising, as if she was a helpless trainee on her first battle and not a veteran warrior!

The fact that she now knew about his disease, disease that was supposed to weaken him in battle, only added salt to the wound.

"That you did Thane," grumbled Lena back to her adversary. "Sometimes I wish you could give this kind of walloping to Galatea, or Audrey. Maybe this would tear their smug smiles away from their faces."

Thane smiled softly back to Lena, already helping her rising back from the floor, mindful of her now broken bones. If he was proud of his abilities, or the capability of defeating Lena even when she used her yoki, he never showed in the face.

Like any great teacher, he simply pointed at the flaws while encouraging his pupil to do better.

"Keep training with me, and you will teach them yourself, siha."

Lena grunted at this and thought about an answer, but someone else beat her on time while breaking the moment with him. Kasumi of course. Sitting on a bench close to the fighting ring, clapped vigorously her hands in excitement instead of training as she was supposed to be, her grinning face well visible despite the omnipresent cowl.

"That was so cool guys. You were both moving like some actors from a film. All dropkicks, punches and flashy moves! I wish I had a camera to record this. Oh, wait a moment! I had it!"

smiled Kasumi while proudly showing to them her Omni-tool

"I wish you would stop doing that Kasumi" growled Lena back to the girl "We are here to train, not to entertain you." The Claymore nimbly grabbed her broken wrist and, with a swift movement coupled with a bit of yoki, she snapped it back into the right position. Both Kasumi and Thane were so used by such things, they simply shrugged at this.

"Don't you have something better to do?"

A Cheshire smile appeared on Kasumi after hearing these words. How much the thief loved to prod Lena, the Claymore had no idea.

"But it was soo cool! And hot! Seeing you squirm under Thane's hands. These strong, muscular and leather-bound hand." Kasumi changed her tone is one of false excitement, knowing full well just how much Lena hated that part of her.

"Would you shut up already? It was nothing like that!" Lena took the bait, of course, the redness of her cheek now fully visible. Although she tried to hide it by looking at a set of new weights.

Kasumi laughed heartily at this, all while Thane simply smiled. Lena was simply too easy to tease sometimes.

"Come on Lena." replied Kasumi cheerfully "I know that you have the hots only for Kelly, but you cannot deny that"

A steel dumbbell flew the second Kasumi mentioned that name in Lena's presence, missing the young thief by mere centimetres, the sound of metal against metal loud enough to be heard even outside. Startled, Kasumi barely avoided the heavy object and so failed to notice Lena charging at her a second later, tackling the young thief to the ground while moving so quickly thanks to her yoki that not even Kasumi could avoid her. They ended up on the metal floor with an audible thud, the Claymore stopping her from finishing her sentence with one hand while the other kept the girl into place.

"I said shut up!" cried Lena a hairbreadth to Kasumi's face, all flustered and angry. Just to hammer the point, she kept her yellow eyes pointed at Kasumi like spears to scare her into submission "This is none of your business!"

"Wow! That feisty?! It must be true love then!" snickered Kasumi back to Lena despite her current predicament.

Any other person would have freaked out at the idea of being grappled by a very angry, and flustered Claymore, but Kasumi was not anyone. The thief simply smiled back at the flustered Claymore and her eyes became ever more mischievous. A simple gesture from her free hands and Lena quickly left Kasumi, her body jolting under some kind of low electrical discharge. Of course, a second later the smirking thief disappeared from Lena's hands' thanks to her cloaking, only to appear next to her.

"But you are soo cute when you look at her with such a longingly gaze Lena. And the way you brought her back on the ship two days ago, carrying her like a bride. A prince saving the princess!" she continued next to her once again. Lena grumbled in frustration and tried once again to tackle the annoying thief, only to see her lithe body disappear in a flash of light a second before contact. Only air remained on her hands.

Goddesses she was so insufferable some times.

"And Kelly fancy you, Lena! She can spout all of that nonsense about professional conduct and such, but her cheeks go on fire every time someone talks about you. And no one is allowed to speak badly about her favourite girl when she is present, unless you want to see an enraged kitten hissing with all her might."

"So you have found your second half, siha?" asked Thane back to her, just to worsen the situation "I am happy for you. Finding your mate is the most important moment in a person's life. You should cherish these moments as much as you can." there was a pang of sadness nestled inside Thane's words, a tone that Lena noticed but failed to understand.

"For the last time!" grunted Lena while trying once again to grab Kasumi, and failing. "We are NOT engaged! I and Kelly are just friends, nothing more!"

"Friends. Sure!" snickered Kasumi back to her. This time she appeared behind Thane as if asking for cover. "Friends that go on a date together and gift to each other such interesting trinkets. By the way, good thinking about the earrings! We girls love our shinies and I couldn't have stolen a better pair."

Lena groaned and prepared herself for another strike when EDI's voice boomed inside the training room

"Attention to all agents. We have reached the planet Tuchanka. All gold level personnel must immediately interrupt their activities and report on their assigned posts!" in their case the briefing room

"Saved by the bell" smiled Kasumi to the Claymore. She immediately stopped her annoying antics and moved toward the exit. "But this is not over Lena!"

Lena groaned soundly, again. Why Kasumi loved to torture her so much?

* * *

 **Briefing room. Five minutes later.**

The hololitic image of a large, mostly deserted planet greeted all the people's eyes the moment Shepard started talking about the mission. It was, in all due honesty, a rather unappealing sight: Tuchanka was a planet with almost no water, constantly hit by scorching sandstorms and almost devoid of natural resources. Meteorologic scans also showed powerful nuclear radiation and yet, according to EDI's sensors, more than 2 billion Krogans lived on his surface. Nothing compared to the populations of any other planet in the galaxy, but still.

It was the epitome of a dustball. Packed to the brim with the most dangerous creatures of the galaxy barring the Rachni, but still a dustball.

Still, now it was not the time to be lost in wishful thinking, a problem that for once involved not only her.

Many people inside the briefing room were keeping close attention toward the hololitic coverage and Shepard's words, rightly wishing to know just in what kind of hellhole their commander was about to throw them this time, but Lena noticed that many more were staring at the still folded tile left two days ago by Lena, wondering just what had managed to fold one square meter of pure steel. Bets on the ships were already going about the possible perpetrator. Grunt was on top, but Lena remembered when yesterday Jack launched strange glances at her while eating in the mess hall, followed by her insufferable cocky smirk when Lena refused to react on her provocation.

"As you already know" continued Shepard's voice all while pointing at a specific place of the planet showed by the hololitic map. A small settlement in the northern hemisphere marked in red as -Clan Urdnot's main camp- "We are here for two reasons: the first is discovering just what the hell is wrong with Grunt, and the second is looking for Mordin's assistant. For this, we are gonna need some help from the local populace and, according to Cerberus, Wrex is the current leader of the Urdnot Clan."

"Wait?" asked Garrus to Shepard, a hint of a smirk twitching from his mandibles "Wrex is now a leader? Our grumpy bounty-hunter? Our Wrex?"

"So it seems Garrus" smiled Shepard "From bounty hunter to clan leader, one hell of a career jump! Let's hope he still has a place for dear old us inside his twin hearts. Jokes asides, we will need his help if we wish to simply set foot on the planet, let alone investigate. We shall move in two squads; I will command the first one and deal with Grunt's problem. Miranda, you are in command of the second squad. Your duty will be investigating Maelon's disappearance, but only after I am done speaking with Wrex and received the green light from him. Lena, Garrus, Tali, Grunt, you are with me. Mordin, Samara, Thane, you are with Miranda. Any questions?"

"In case of hostilities with Urdnot clan, how should we proceed?" asked Miranda

"Try to defuse the situation without using weapons. If it is impossible, deal with the enemy and then immediately call for a shuttle and run like hell. I want every single person linked with EDI's mainframe at all time."

"And what if Wrex refuses to help us and denies access?" asked Tali this time

"Let's cross that bridge when and if we reach it Tali. Any more questions?"

A silence greeted Shepard's words this time

"Good. Go to the armoury and prepare yourselves. I want all of you ready in less than five. Dismissed.

* * *

 **Planet Tuchanka. 12 49 local hours. Urdnot's main camp**

It was official. EDI's scans told them that the planet was a dustball. The various testimonies coming from extranet told her that it was a dustball, and now that Lena had set foot on this insufferable place she could easily say that it was far worse than a dustball!

Growling and sputtering, the Claymore spat another mouthful of saliva mixed with goddesses knew how much sand all while she tried to not sink in the unstable ground.

-Fuck this sand, fuck these ruins, fuck the Krogans, fuck this planet!- she cursed again and again while drudging through both sand and wind, trying together with the rest of her squad to reach the door leading to what the Krogan considered a residential complex, nothing more than a pile of rubble still miraculously standing despite the wind and the wars.

Reaching the planet had been easy. No one shot the shuttle or tried to stop them once reaching the space-port, although calling that rough, one-kilometre square plaza of cleared rubble spaceport was a horrible disservice for the category.

The guards also left them alone: more than ten Krogan warriors covered in silver armour and armed with massive shotguns greeted them once they moved away from the shuttle and yet, except giving them a wide berth, no one attacked them. They simply told them to meet the chieftain all while grumbling something about Grunt being a runt. Nothing more.

No fighting, no insults, no blockades. Definitively easy to reach. Too easy to reach.

But moving across its ash covered plains?! Now that was a challenge!

The moment they made planetfall, a veritable storm of ash and smoke hit the squad with the power of a cannonball. Smoke and dirt hit their armour with enough strength to ruin the paint job, and thanks to the Goddesses they had already inserted their helmets, otherwise who knew what would have happened to their faces!

They all moved slowly, their scanners devastated by the storm and their feet barely managing to move, all while small particles of sand somehow managed to enter inside their fully sealed armours, making every movement itchy in the extreme. Only one minute of walking and Lena felt the almost irresistible urge to tear her armour apart and scratch as hard as she could her limbs, and she could only imagine what Garrus was feeling with all his fringes and scales.

It took almost ten minutes to reach the main entrance of the residential complex, a long, rust-covered door almost two-meter tall that looked more like a blast door than anything else. Ten minutes for a ten meters ride because the wind was that powerful.

And when they finally reached it, and the entrance door slowly, slowly cracked back to life allowing them to get inside, they didn't find that much of an improvement. The wind was mostly gone thanks to old, stone walls and roof that croaked and shuddered under the elements, but the rest was an utter mess. Piles of rubble, ruined walls, lines of tents, small dumpster fires, this was the sight that greeted the tired and thoroughly dust-covered group the moment they reached the relative safety of the indoor spaces, a pathetic pile of filth and rubble that only a mouse would dare to call home. There was almost no sign of technology, save for some barely powered screens kept running by rotten cables that showed the image of a wizened Krogan half mumbling today's news on the galaxy, followed by some strange words in Krogans dialect, some decayed lamps hanging from the roof and one of two archaic terminals strapped on the angles of the building. And weapons. The only things both clean and cutting edge inside this pile of junk were the massive stores of weapons placed everywhere in the camp, even next to what looked the infirmary.

All around this mess, Krogans of various age and power milled their way, giving only glancing blows to Grunt and the strange posse that had just entered their home, too busy doing whatever Krogans do on their free time.

All in all, a desolate spectacle, and Lena was no the only one thinking about this

"So this is the home-world of Kroll? The resting place of the destroyers of worlds? It is a two-credits dumpster fire where I would not even keep a pet Pyjack! Okeer's version is much, much better." mumbled Grunt to everyone and no-one, but loud enough for anyone to hear.

The memories inside his head must have granted him another type of spectacle and is always hard when an illusion is destroyed by reality.

"Come on, here is the throne room," said Shepard to his squad, urging them to follow him toward a small room placed in the centre of this junk-pile, roughly two square meters wide and surrounded by snarling guards in silver armour. It was mostly covered by walls and dust, but Lena's trained eyes could see a ruined throne with a massive Krogan sitting on it. She could also hear harsh words booming and bouncing across the dusty walls.

Shepard quickly covered the room, but many guards immediately snarled at him when he tried to enter and barred their pass.

"The chieftain is busy, pink skin. Come back later!" said a Krogan while blocking their path. A massive brute covered head to toe in a battered, red-painted armour and wielding a massive shotgun. Many scars marred its fringes and its eyes promised death to anyone that tried to piss him off. The chief of the guards, probably.

Still, despite his bulk, he could not hide the annoyed warlord's frame inside the room, currently listening to another Krogan quite busy screaming and babbling something in harsh tones. Tradition, continuing, forbidden, these were the snippets of conversation that Lena managed to grab.

The warlord was big, bigger than Lena had expected, and quite intimidating: more than two meters tall and covered in a scarlet armour that shoved dents and burns marks all over the metal, he showed blood-red eyes capable of piercing any soul. The paper yellow scaly skin was scarred everywhere, granting him an aura of power and danger that managed to worry even a seasoned warrior like Lena. There was also intelligence, a spark of knowledge seldom found inside brutish people like the Krogans that made him even more dangerous in her eyes and was now thoroughly annoyed by the current problem. She could see it from the look he gave to the other Krogan, an unassuming warrior with silver and violet armour and average build for one of its race, still too busy braying to him to even notice the newcomers.

But when the chieftain noticed the new arrivals the same, tired red eyes, awoken like newborn stars.

Lena saw the chieftain slowly rise from his ruined throne, the other Krogan already forgot, and ordering with a clipped move to let Shepard's team pass. He didn't utter a word toward the newcomers, content to simply staring at Shepard with his bloodshot eyes, his mind refusing to believe in what he was seeing. Then, all of a sudden, Lena witnessed the warlord tackling Shepard in one bear crushing hug that almost broke the commander's spine, all while booming the loudest laugher ever heard by the Claymore. It was so strong that Lena swore she saw the walls cracking under the sound.

"Shepard. My old friend!" He roared with full force, drowning in joy. "I knew it! I knew it that not even the void could kill a tough son of a Pijack like you!"

Yep, they were old friends just as he had told them, it was clear to see for Lena now. She only hoped that this Wrex would not crush Shepard's spine by mistake because she swore she could hear it groaning under the pressure, alongside the armour.

"I am glad to see you too, you old pissy bastard," replied Shepard to Wrex while he tried to not choke and die. It took some seconds for Wrex to disentangle Shepard, so happy he was to see him, no matter how many time the other Krogan brayed and shouted about some kind of breach of etiquette and position. And when he did, he still refused to acknowledge anyone else while offering as much space as possible to the newcomers. Everyone simply ignored the old guest, something that pissed the Krogan off even more.

"So Shepard" began Wrex while sitting once again back on the throne, finally calm "I am so happy to see you here, but I am ready to bet that this is not a simple courtesy visit. How you survived by the way?! Knowing you, it must have involved lots of carnage, and guns."

"Remember the attack on the old Normandy? I was still inside when the Collector ship inflicted the killing blow. Their last shot threw me into the void like a bullet." replied Shepard, remembering that particular day

"Spaced eh? Aah, the privilege of a redundant nervous system." said Wrex to everyone and no one in particular."

"Yes, we humans do not have it." deadpanned Shepard

"Oh," Wrex sighted, actually surprised "In that case, it must have hurt like hell. Still, it does not matter now. How you managed to escape from suffocating to death? You swam toward a planet with those spindly arms of yours?"

"Actually..." began Shepard "I died Wrex. Seriously. I floated like a piece of rock for who knows how much time. Until Cerberus found my corpse and resurrected me somehow. Now I am on a mission funded by them: saving colonies from the Collectors while those stuck up idiots of the council leave them to die while accusing me of treason. Still, I am the one calling the shot. Cerberus merely granted me some freedom and the funds for the mission"

"Freedom that you use to see new planets, find new, big enemies and kill them with even bigger guns. Just like old times!" concluded Wrex for him, not even perturbed by Shepard's admission about Cerberus "Gods Shepard. They fire at you with orbital grade weapons and they only manage to piss you off. You must have Krogan's blood in the veins, it is the only explanation. And I see that you brought some old friend. Like you Garrus! You did some work on your face."

"Wrex, old bastard. You know me!" replied Garrus with mock modesty "My dashing looks kept stealing all the girls away from Shepard. I decided to give him a fighting chance."

Wrex's laugh boomed across the entire campus this time. Not just the room.

"Garrus, you are the only Turian in the galaxy that I do not want to kill. And you Tali: do you still remember the trick I taught you with the shotgun?"

"Yes Wrex, and I have even improved it!" answered Tali as if she was talking to a kind, old uncle and not a two-meter tall killing machine

"My brave, little Quarian. Two years ago you were too scared to even utter a word in front of me, and now you move with the grace of a veteran. I am so proud of you." Lena swore to have seen an actual tear escaping from Wrex's massive eyelids, but it quickly disappeared once his snake-like eyes ended up on her. For interminable seconds these old, dangerous eyes looked at every inch of her body, judging her prowess, smelling her like a predator. There was so much aggression behind them, so much power, that Lena almost ended up unsheathing her sword for a second.

"You." whispered Wrex finally "Bone-white skin. Silver eyes, and a sword bigger than your body. You can be only one person: the Ripper."

The mentioning of her nickname stopped every single Krogan on its track. Many, both inside the throne room and outside, started whispering and pointing at Lena with their massive hands. Many more eyes lit in rage and desire, while some Krogans even quietly charged their weapons, but still refused to use them. For now.

"Yes. I am the Ripper. Is this a problem?" asked Lena with caution. She was not liking how the situation was turning. Half of the camp, now that they knew about her identity, were looking at her with a mixture of lust, hate and desire. Many guns were already out their holsters and the Claymore noticed that a maniple of Krogans were already locking all the possible exitis.

"Many Krogans died inside the arenas of Omega, under your blade, and their souls call for vengeance. Besides, the glory of defeating a great warrior like you, of claiming your still-beating heart from your shattered body is something that many Krogans wish to do. Even among my clan."

No. Lena was definitively not liking the way things were going. And not even Shepard, judging by his face. On the back on her skull Lena could feel the weapons aimed at her shoulders, and the gaggle of excited Krogans ready to fire.

This was not good at all.

"They can try." replied Lena and this time she did not stop her arm from grabbing the hilt of her sword "And die."

The tension was now so heavy, you could cut it with a knife. Everything pointed at a gunfight ready to explode just inside the throne room, and Shepard quietly unholstered his heavy machine gun, followed by Garrus, Tali and Grunt all while Wrex's guards come ever closer to her, grinning savagely to her.

Then, Wrex laughed at all of this. A loud, sharp sound that broken the tension and eased everyone's souls.

"I believe you, warrior. You smell like a berserker. But you do not have to worry: you are with Shepard, and this is enough for me and my clan. Right?" Wrex sent a look full of authority toward his tribesmen behind Lena, and it somehow worked. The Claymore witnessed the massed Krogans them backing off from their places and returning to their mansions. Even the ones with the weapons already primed scampered away like scolded children.

"Good. Now Shepard. What brings you here? There are no Collectors here to kill, unfortunately."

"Many reasons, but let's start with the more pressing one. I have a Krogan in my squad, but he has some kind of problem." he began Shepard while pointing at Grunt "I was hoping to find a cure for him here."

Wrex's eyes moved toward Grunt after hearing these words. Red eyes met the white of Grunt, and the old bounty-hunter looked at Grunt with an expression never seen by Shepard in all his life. Not even during his permanence on the Normandy.

"Where do you come from, whelp?" asked Wrex with a mixture of authority and confusion, breaking the staring "Has your clan died before they could teach you what it truly means to be a true Krogan?"

"I..." answered Grunt back, hesitant and unsure for the first time in his brief life "I do not belong to a clan. Okeer created me artificially using the blood of Kredak, Mooro, Shazir."

"A tank-bred!" shouted the Krogan guest next to them "You spout the name of great warlords, but you are only the product of a syringe," he added with venom.

"Shut up Uvenk!" quickly snapped Wrex, silencing the Krogan "And you Grunt, mind your tongue. Okeer is a very old name among my people. A very hated one."

"he is dead." deadpanned Grunt in response. If he was angry about his father's reputation, he hid it well.

"Of course he is, you are with Shepard." scoffed Wrex back, just before turning toward his friends "There is nothing wrong with Grunt, Shepard. He is just becoming an adult."

It took some seconds for Wrex's words to sink inside Shepard's mind. And even more, seconds to truly understand the meaning of them. When it finally happened, the expression his face showed was beyond surprised.

"He is...becoming an adult? That is the problem? Teenager issues?" he asked toward his friend, that simply nodded back at him

"In that case" intervened Garrus all of a sudden "The solution is clear: we go back to Omega, pay a couple of strippers and be done with him."

Few appreciated his idea: Wrex laughed heartily at this brief outburst, all while both Tali and Lena glared at him with looks of pure outrage. Shepard simply remained silent

"It does not work that way with us Garrus. Grunt needs to perform the rite of passage," replied Wrex back to his friend, but this time someone else vouched for his outrage in full power. Uvenk.

"What?!" he roared Uvenk back to Wrex "First you spit on all our traditions, and now you allow this….creature to test itself on the rite of passage?! My clan will never allow this! And neither the others! If you dare to continue to this path we" Uvenk never had the chance of ending his words, because the moment the enraged Krogan dared to approach Wrex, he received a devastating head-butt that sent him sprawling back on the ground.

"I am tired of your useless prattling Uvenk. I am the leader of Clan Urdnot, not you! And if I decide that Grunt can participate in the Rite of Passage, then so it shall be! Now, keep that sewer of a mouth shut and begone from my place! Tell your Clan that I will unify all the Clans of the planet, and drag them to the glory we deserve whether you old fools like it or not!"

Told Wrex to the still stunned Uvenk and, no roars, threats or shouts come from his mouth. Wrex was merely stating a fact, something that made his words even more terrifying. So much that Uvenk simply raised back from the floor and left the room. Rage was still seething inside his eyes, but not to the point of being suicidal.

"Idiot." commented Wrex when they were finally free from his presence "So Grunt? Do you wish to become a member of my clan?"

Grunt didn't answer immediately. First, he turned back, gazing at Wrex's camp without saying a word. Shepard could see that some kind of battle was raging inside the young Krogan's mind, and simply let it goes. It was Grunt's choice after all.

Then, after some seconds of tense waiting, Grunt finally spoke

"It is in my blood. I have to do it!"

"Good answer boy! To meet the shaman now. Give him a good impression and he will let you go. And Shepard" Wrex smirked at all of this, remembering old times "Still busy putting your friend's asses out of the fire eh? Like the old times!"

"Don't remind me!" replied Shepard with a tired smile "People back on the ship are starting to call me mother hen."

"I have no idea of what a hen is, but it must be a dangerous beast if they compare it to you."

Garrus's laugh could be heard even outside the spaceport.

* * *

 **Shaman's quarter**

Shepard felt his annoyance for this planet, previously dissipated by Wrex's meeting, quickly reappearing on his face like a snake on a tree. That annoying bastard of Uvenk didn't want to leave Grunt alone, to the point of actually trying to sway the shaman to his side.

Hell both he and his squad-mates found the shaman's quarter only thanks to the cries reverberating inside the complex! Roars of traditions, honour and being unworthy that riled up Grunt to no end.

Thankfully the old Krogan, dressed in a mismatch of armour and cloth, seems uninterested about all of this hogwash just like them.

"So this is the tank-bred?" asked the Shaman when finally having the chance of looking at Grunt "He seems big enough. Smell correct as well. Your claims ring false Uvenk."

"Then I invoke the denial! My Krantt stands with me. But him? He has no one ready to die for him." replied Uvenk back. Shepard had to give this Krogan this: he was determined! To the point that he truly wanted to shoot at him and be done with this mess.

He was not the only one judging by the shaman's face

"My patience is growing thin, but Uvenk is right this time." growled the shaman "Grunt? Do you have the Krantts? Are there warriors ready to die for you in battle?"

"So a Krantt is alike...a battle brother? Or sister? If that is the case, we are his Krantts!" quipped Tali more out of instinct than anything else before Grunt could answer. Both Shepard and Grunt looked at her, surprised, and Tali simply shrugged her shoulders "What? It is true! We fight together, like a family just like the time of the old Normandy."

"An oversimplified way of seeing a Krantt, but still acceptable." murmured the shaman with satisfaction. "I allow you aliens to participate, if Grunt wish so."

"Aliens?!" Of course, Mr. sympathy decided to intervene another time, trying to weaken their position "They are weak! They do not know the true meaning of strength. I do, just like my Krantt! They should" but this time, Lena lost her patience, and simply asked with a nod to being allowed to intervene. When she received the green light, she stroke, but not with weapons.

It happened all in a second: Uvenk was speaking hotly against the shaman, then all of a sudden Lena charged him with her yoki already flowing and head-butted the annoying meddler into the ground. Now, usually humans are not strong enough to even dent a Krogan's ridge, let alone break it, but Lena was far more than a human, and when she hit Uvenk, she did with all her yoki-infused might at her disposal. With remarkable results.

For the second time in this day, Uvenk felt someone head-butting his head with such strength to make him tumble. Such a move was the equivalent of the middle-finger for his race, and receiving from a powerful war leader without being able to retaliate in blood was a great shame that would never be washed away.

But being head-butted into oblivion by a human? That was even more insulting!

Uvenk's scales turned in an interesting shade of grey, all while his reptilian eyes stared at Lena with a mix of rage, confusion and utter surprise. He tried to raise back from the dusty ground but tripped while doing so, his head throbbing in pain. Lena, on the other hand, merely smirked back at him, her eyes yellow for the yoki, her skin cut because of Uvenk's scales and a cocky smile plastered on her face.

"You…..you!" roared Uvenk back to Lena. Her smile, on the other hand, grew even wider

"Are you done talking?" she asked cockily "You look like a Krogan, but you keep spouting words and curses instead of fighting. Like a Salarian. Are the weapons on your back just for show?"

If a look could kill, Lena would be a broken mess on the floor right now, but still, Uvenk refused to react. He was on a foreign clan territory and in front of a foreign shaman. He could not attack, no matter how much he wanted!

Instead, snarling like a beast and trickles of foam escaping from his maw, Uvenk left the chamber alongside his bodyguards while promising to himself to exhact blood retribution once the time was right. his bodyguards, three Krogan warriors in black and white armour, quickly moved behind him.

"Ah-ah! I like you Ripper" boomed the shaman once they were alone "It is such a joy to see a female like you! Grunt, I allow you to partake in the Rite of Passage! When shall we begin?"

"Even now, if you are ready," replied Shepard

The smile of the shaman became even bigger.

* * *

 **Thirteen kilometres north from Urdnot's camp. 13 17 local hour**

"So, this is it? We gong this oversized drum and the trial begin?"

Shepard said nothing back to Garrus. Instead, he simply watched the arena where the shaman had brought them after a short trek with a giant truck. Some kind of personal belonging of the shaman, for what he understood. He was not with them. Once they reached the objective, the shaman simply left them after telling them to move toward the arena and sound the gong when they were ready. He refused to utter a word about the ritual, content to leave them under the harsh wind of the planet and go on his way.

The arena itself was quite plain: a large rectangle of smooth stone surrounded by a literal sea of rubble and dirt. At its centre lied a black obelisk with ancient marking now faded under centuries of wind and time, and all around it, the corpses of dozens of Krogans lied dead on the floor, the one that failed the test. This obelisk must have been one of many others, because Shepard noticed many broken columns all around the arena, as black as the previous one but, unlike it, all dented and broken like the teeth of a dead beast erupting from the earth.

Despite the obvious age, Shepard immediately saw the care and love that the Krogans felt for this place: the place was relatively clean and solid despite being constanty whipped by howling gales of wind, and various crates of ammo and medicines bearing the markings of dozens of Clans littered the place. And the stone itself, despite the age, was clean and intact; lovingly repaired by generations of Krogans during the eras. And last but not least, a metal ramp placed just some meters away from the arena covered the only entrance of what looked like a complex of Krogan-made caves and subterranean buildings that spanned across the entire arena and far beyond. Even Lena with her enchanted eyes could not see the end of them. Next to the ramp a massive, metal gong with stone inlays covered half of the arena with its shadow, waiting to be used. There was even a stone mallet next to it.

It was the closest thing Shepard could see as a temple for a warlike race like the Krogans

"Pretty much." he finally answered "Grunt, it is your rite. You do the honours."

Grunt's maw opened slightly in mirths of joy, and soon the huge, stone mallet was in the young Krogan's hands. He raised it slowly, savouring the moment, and when it collided with the massive instrument he created a single note that reverberated across the entire arena and far, far further

"In the past, the Krogans conquered Tuchanka and dominated over the world that now belongs to us!" shouted a voice in the answer of the call, the shaman's voice but amplified by some kind of voice-caster. It was so powerful that it almost deafened Shepard's ears, but what came after it was far worse.

The metal ramp saw by Shepard started lowering with a groaning sound, fighting against decades of rust. When it finally lowered, Dust and wind covered Shepard's vision for some seconds, but not his ears, and what he heard worried his greatly.

"Shepard..." began Tali behind her, her hands already gripping the shotgun

"I know Tali. I know" A low, guttural sound well know among Shepard and his team-mantes. Even Lena recognized it, but only Grunt smiled at it.

"Varrens. Dozens of them." growled Lena, her sword already out "They will try to swarm us."

"Let them come. I am itching for a fight!" boomed Grunt

"Yes, good for you, but I am itching for surviving." deadpanned Garrus. After him, no more room for words was left, because the trial began.

* * *

 **two hours later**

The air was thick with blood and death, Lena could almost taste it. It permeated the air, the stones around her, and her now drenched body.

All around her the corpses of dozens of slain beasts lied on the slippery floor, their guts and organs escaping from gaping wounds.

For how long they battled? Lena was not sure. Even a hardened warrior like he had lost count of time after the eleventh wave of beasts that tried to attack them. What she knew was that she was tired, wounded and thoroughly done with this damned charade!

-Just how many beasts have we killed?- asked her reeling mind, knowing full well that the number was too high to be truly counted. Now at least Lena understood why the Krogans allowed a young one to be helped during the trial because not even the strongest one could hope to win such an attrition battle all by himself!

Still, they were all alive, unlike the dozens of broken Varren, Klixen and Goddesses knew what else the shaman threw at them during this thrice-cursed Rite. There were so many corpses that the floor was now slippery for all the blood and guts sthrewn aroud.

"I think we are done!" shouted Shepard at the centre of the arena. Just like everyone his armour was covered in gore, blood and scratches. A section of his right leg armour was gone, gnashed and gnawed away by innumerable teeth but apart for that, he looked mostly unscathed. So was Garrus although he looked positively done with this day.

Tali, on the other hand, showed a deep gash near her sternum. Not enough to kill her, more more than enough to give her an immediate infection. The suit had immediately repaired the damage and isolated the open parts of course, vut one second was all that it took for Tali that she was now swimming in antibiotics. Still, she assured her that she could still fight and this was enough for Lena.

Not for Shepard judging by his worried face.

Grunt was the only one happy in the group, giggling like a schoolgirl and asking for more despite the blood and wounds. He was the phantom of himself, covered in gore and blood, its scales gnawed by beasts and acid, and yet he had never felt happier in his life!

"Yes!" he roared to the sky in triumph, holding the severed head of a Varren alpha "This is what i needed! But it is not over yet. I need more shaman! More!"

Shepard was not fine with this idea, but the choice was away from his hands. He only hoped that the shaman was not in the same idea with Grunt and simply decided to be done with this charade before it was too late. His supplies of ammo were running low, and he was not the only one.

Of course, the shaman, being an annoying, bloodthirsty Krogan like Grunt, opted for the opposite answer.

The gong sounded once again, this time not by them but thanks to some kind of machine, turning everyone's heads.

"And now" boomed the shaman's voice once again "All Krogans bear the Genophage, our reward, our curse. It is a fight where the only goal is survival."

Shepard grimaced and prepared himself for another onslaught, dreading about what else could come this time from the networks of grottos and caves. Behind him, Garrus and Tali readied their weapons, sombre faces waiting for the inevitable while Lena placed herself on the front, sword ready and swallowing away her tiredness.

But no one appeared. No creature dared to make its move toward them. No bestial roar or howl of challenge greeted their tired ears. What they heard instead was a strange, thrumming sound.

A sound coming from beneath the earth, moving toward them.

Ever stronger. Ever faster.

It took some seconds for Garrus to understand just what was the source of this noise, but once he understood, he began cursing loudly in his native language all while he tried to stop his legs from trembling. Shepard remained quiet, but his expression was so grim, you would think that the Grim Reaper had just appeared in front of him. Lena's breath became shallow and ragged all of a sudden. The yoki in her was useless, the scanners were gone rendering them blind, and yet she sensed in her blood the arrival of something terrifying. Something powerful enough to make her wrist quake in fear.

"Shepard?" she asked, trying to stop her voice from trembling "What is coming?"

Shepard looked at her with an indecipherable look locked on his eyes. Behind him Garrus's breath became ragged while he looked fearfully with the scope of his sniper rifle, watching for something and Tali moved behind them. Even Grunt had stopped laughing.

"The nightmare of every army soldier," replied Shepard cryptically

"What do you mean?"

But before Shepard could answer, an earthquake of massive proportions hit the arena with the power of a massive mallet. Everyone lost their footing while the earth was broken and shattered under the weight of something mastodontic coming from its insides. Tonnes of sand and ash soared in the sky with such levels that for some tense seconds the debris blinded the sky, rending everyone's vision useless under the dust

And when the dust finally settled, Lena's eyes almost bulged out from her sockets.

The beast was massive: maybe as long as the Normandy itself on her eyes, its serpentine body was covered in serrated scales each longer that Lena's arm. A massive maw covering three long, meaty tongues, each of a different colour, spewed acid and saliva all around the ground. No eyes looked at the minuscule creatures beneath it, only huge antennas lodged deeply inside its scaled head, moving and stuttering in the wind.

"A Thresher Maw." spat Shepard in both awe and utter fear "It is a bloody Thresher Maw!"

And as if called by Shepard's words, the beast opened its massive mouth and released a thunderous roar in the sky, so powerful that entire sections of the arena trembled under it, just before moving toward its new preys.

 **First part over boys and girls. Stay tuned for the battle against the Thresher Maw, the aftermath of the battle and the rest of Tuchanka's ark. Hopefully only in another part, but I doubt that.**

 **Bye! Also, I am taking a short pause for writing I am afraid. Real-life stuff has come crashing down on my face.**

 **And yes, i know that i am saying this while leaving the chapter like this. What can i say? I have never said i am not evil.**


	22. Chapter 16-1 Tuchanka The trial

**Tuchanka**

 **Part 2**

 **So here's the continue boys and girls! Still does not convince me 100% but i had to place something after all of this silence. Unfortunately i cannot yet say that i am out of the woods, but i am trying to pull it through. Hoping what i have written is not too insane. See ya**

 **Arena**

Lena barely avoided the Thresher Maw's sweep aimed at her body, and the Claymore felt the serpentine scales of the massive beast crashing under the stone pavement. The same sidewalk where she stood just a second ago. The stone pavement buckled and dived under pressure and the Claymore dreaded at the idea of what would happen to her weak body if the massive beast could manage to get a grip on her.

-I doubt that even someone like Deneve would survive this one!- She thought grimly. -This beast crumple steel and stone-like paper.-

The creature, on the other hand, did everything in its power to turn the four annoying ants into its dinner, and the arena was paying the price for this.

All of their weapons proved useless against that thing: bullets bounced away. Rockets crashed harmlessly on its scales. Even Lena's sword failed to pierce the beast's layers, no matter the strength she put behind it.

Ten minutes. Only ten minutes had passed since the Tresher Maw's arrival, and already Lena and her group were on their last legs!

All around her pieces of flying stoneworks and metal flew like maddened shards, forcing her and her companions to duck for cover lest they wanted to have their heads chopped off. Even Grunt had to take cover, his natural bloodlust cowed by the insanity of the situation.

"This is insane, Shepard," screamed Lena to the commander in one of the rare seconds of peace. "How do we defeat such a beast?"

"We don't" simply replied Shepard. He was some meters away from her, too busy using a crooked piece of stone as cover and trying to stay alive "We hunker down and hope that it moves away."

"That's it!?" shouted Lena back, just a second before she was forced to duck for cover. The Claymore felt the acid spat from the massive, frothing mouth missing her scalp by a hairbreadth and the stench of smouldering hairs invaded her nostrils. Once back on the ship, she would need one hell of a haircut.

"I am on Lena with this one!" replied Garrus some meters away from them "This thing seems hell-bent of having roasted Turian for dinner Shepard, accompanied with fried humans and a pinch of Quarian in the mix. We need to do something more than simply hunker down!"

"This will be the first and last time I am saying this, but I wish we had the Mako right now!" shuddered Tali behind a steel pillar. The suit hid her face and body, but everyone could see that she was shivering in fear at this point.

Lena moved away from the smouldering wreck that was her cover and dived away from the beast, firing wildly at the Thresher Maw with her machine gun. The bullets ricocheted when hitting the beast's scales. In response, the Claymore received another goblet of acid that splashed the floor next to her. Her armour sizzled and melted under the shower, but it held. For now.

"Behind you!" screamed Shepard to her, and Lena's honed reflexes barely managed to avoid a crumbling column collapsing next to her, its foundations crumbling under the acid's bite.

The entire arena was going down under their feet: shattered by bullets, hit by the beast, melted by acid, steel and stone failed to withstand such a terrifying onslaught. What just some hours ago had been a fully functioning arena was nothing more than a wasteland. Broken columns dotted the landscape, massive craters absorbed the debris and everywhere jagged pieces of rocks created a shifting labyrinth of rubble and rock.

It was the only reason both Shepard and his squad were still alive: so battered and confusing was the battlefield right now that not even a Thresher Maw could catch them.

"Starting to get low on ammo Shepard!" warned Garrus while shifting positions once again.

"Same for me!" replied Shepard grimly "And this thing refuses to fuck off! Maybe we should"

"Scatter!" Lena's voice interrupted Shepard's trail of thoughts, his body reacting to the impending menace before even trying to get a look at it. Thank God he did it, because just a second later another goblet of acid, this time ten times bigger than the others, crashed upon their positions.

Once again, steel fizzled and melted, more columns collapsed, and the sand itself started fuming under the burning acid. Garrus swore loudly in Turian, barely avoiding a splash of the dangerous liquid. Shepard,s helmet received a full blast, and the commander was forced to rip it away from his face, lest he wanted to have acid dripping on his face. Lena was not as lucky, and this time the Claymore felt her armour break down under the acid and melting part of her skin. Lena shrieked in absolute pain, and she felt part of her skin peeling away from her now seared flesh. Still, a combination of both adrenaline and Yoki allowed shrugging off the wound.

But Tali was the one that felt the worst of the hit. The young engineer failed to duck for cover in time, and when the acid hit the ground, the surge hit her square in the chest. Shepard heard Tali scream as she had never done before, and saw in horror the acid melting and burning her suit like a living beast. The suit ruptured in a flash, opening the Quarian's delicate body to the scorching air of Tuchanka. Red alerts blared inside Tali's damaged suit, and the girl felt the dizziness of nausea and disease immediately hitting her with the power of a mallet.

Two seconds later, the acid still fizzling on her, Tali collapsed on the ground, her body overloaded by diseases and burnt marks.

"No!" Roared Shepard. He immediately moved toward Tali, but Lena proved to be faster.

The Claymore grabbed the now wheezing girl from the ground and sprinted away from the battlefield, barely avoiding the Thresher Maw's gaping mouth already poised to eat Tali. Instead of flesh, the beast ate even more stone, its jaws gnawing at where its new dinner was supposed to be.

Lena didn't even turn back to check how close was the beast to her. She knew that it was a hairbreadth away from here, and that was enough. She simply sprinted away from the battlefield, carrying the wounded Tali with her. The girl was trembling under her hands, coughing feverishly under a fulminating fever and twitching madly, but was still alive at least. The Claymore stopped when they were far away from the Thresher Maw, behind a small barricade of steel and stone caused by the battlefield near the exit of the arena. It was not a safe space, not by any stretch, but it was at least away from the beast's main body, and Lena hoped that it was enough. Garrus quickly joined her and started administrating first aid.

"I got this, you go and help Shepard and Grunt distracting that thing," he said calmly, his hands already activating the Omni-tool, and she obeyed.

She darted back toward the battle, into the same mess of steel and wrecks that the beast was still happily shattering in an effort to reach its dinner. She arrived just in time to slash at the beast's scales and prevent it from eating Grunt.

"How is she?" immediately asked Shepard once he saw Lena coming back. Even with his helmet still on Lena could see the fear in his eyes.

"No idea!" shrugged Lena while grabbing her machine gun once again. She was also running low on ammo, but still hammered the beast. "Garrus is tending to her right now, but it will be all for nothing if this thing eats us for dinner."

"About that Shepard" intervened Grunt all of a sudden "Lena's words just gave me an idea."

* * *

 **Same moment. Observatory one kilometre away from the battlefield.**

With one drink at hand and a haunch of fried Varren meat in the other, the shaman kept witnessing Grunt rite of passage through the safe spot one kilometre away from the arena, looking at the battle with consummate interest.

After all, who says that a shaman must see the struggle of some pent up young blood and his little posse like during the old times? Waving bones and being at the forefront of the battlefield?

He had witnessed such rites so many times at this point. He did not feel the need to be present anymore.

Smiling softly, the shaman moved his gaze away from the humans and back to the new blood. This Krogan, this Grunt that some clansmen accused of being some kind of tank-bred mistake.

The shaman gruffed at this. For being a mistake, the runt was fighting well. Him and his little detachment.

The way they killed the varrens, the Klixen and all the other beasts that Tuchanka threw at them was nothing short than exemplary. Such display of raw power, strength and cunning manage to rattle away a sight of happiness even from an old, scarred bastard like him.

But how would they deal with a Thresher Maw?

It was not the first time that such a beast come to the rite, attracted by both the stench of fresh blood and the sound of the mallet, and the shaman knew that it would not be the last. Killing it was not a requirement for passing the rite, the shaman knew it of course, but performing such a feat usually meant that the gods had marked said Krogan for greatness.

Like Wrex. He was the last Krogan that had managed to kill one of such beasts, and now he was the war leader.

"So, Grunt," said the shaman to no one in particular while watching the battle "How will you deal with this obstacle?"

The shaman saw Grunt running away from the beast bellowing against it so to gain its attention. For a moment, the shaman failed to understand the reason behind this action. Had the runt simply decided to kill himself? Had he given up on life?

Then he saw it, the place where Grunt was dragging the Thresher Maw. A ruined place at the centre of the arena. One now covered in rubble and broken columns glinting at the air. Columns now as sharp as razors.

This time the smile escaping from the shaman was far more savage.

"Oh Grunt, you sly Pijiack."

* * *

 **Arena. Two minutes later**

It worked. Against all the odds, it worked.

When Grunt told them just what he had in mind for killing the Thresher Maw, Shepard had honestly thought that the insanity of the situation had finally taken him. And frankly, no one could blame him for this. Not after hearing Grunt's idea.

His grand plan was nothing more than dragging the massive beast toward the ruined arena and have it pierce itself on one of the steel columns while trying to devour one of them!

Thanks to the goddesses Grunt volunteered to be the beast's bait because there was no way in hell for Lena to fulfil such a crazy role.

The Claymore witnessed, alongside Garrus and Shepard, Grunt bellowing at the Thresher Maw with all of the strength his lung could use. No one fired at the Thresher Maw in the meantime, allowing Grunt to catch its full attention.

The Thresher Maw's antennas twitched madly at this, moving erratically left and right until they finally decided to focus on Grunt. For some seconds no one moved from its place: Lena and Shepard, too tense to even move a muscle. Grunt, refusing to back down from the challenge, and the Thresher Maw, unsure by the prey's behaviour. Then, with a lightning movement, the head of the beast dashed forward, followed by its massive serpentine body cracking the ground all around it. Soon, the beast's jaws were meters from Grunt's position, and Lena half-expected to see the Krogan freeze in place, so terrifying it must have been the visage in front of it. Instead, Grunt bellowed even louder and fired another shot at the beast's face, adding even more fuel to the fire.

Lena had to admit: Grunt was utterly insane. And beyond brave.

The beast was close to the ground now. So close than Lena could see the different colours and hues of the scales in front of her and the thickness of the tongue. She could only imagine what was witnessing Grunt. Its mouth opened up and prepared to swallow the prey.

It noticed too late the razor-sharp columns next to its prey. It had fallen on the trap.

A second before the Thresher Maw's massive maws was able to snap Grunt's body, a pair of sharpened columns collided with the beast's bent shape, and Lena saw the beast's hide shattering with a sickening sound under the direct impact of steel against flesh. A torrent of greenish, acid blood escaping from the massive wounds.

The beast roared in pain with so much power that Lena felt her ears ringing, its serpentine body thrashing wildly in the sky. What was left of the arena next to it crumbled in a jumbled mess of splintered columns, broken stones and goblets of green blood. Many of these remains hit Grunt's frame, but his armour coupled with his race's renown resilience allowed him to stem most of the damage.

Still, Lena bet that he would have felt at least some of that the next day.

"can't believe it actually worked," muttered Shepard next to Lena, and the Claymore had to agree.

"Still, this is far from over." quickly added more to himself than the others "It may be wounded, but it looks far from beat."

Lena nodded, grimly at this. She knew such a fact by experience, after fighting so many Yomas and Awakened ones.

Grunt, on the other hand, starter laughing maniacally at sight in front of his eyes, all while pieces of ripped meat and steel washed over him in a horrible parody of rain.

"Yes!" he roared madly at the beast. "This is the reason I was created!"

"get away from it, you cursed idiot!" snapped Shepard back to the Krogan, but Grunt refused to listen. he simply grabbed his shotgun and started firing wildly at the wounded beast in front of him.

This time, the bullets hit their mark, and the weakened scales shattered under the heavy slugs. Another roar of pain boomed inside the arena, and the beast started to retreat inside the earth back from where it came, leaving a trail of blood behind it.

Slowly, bleeding heavily from dozens of wounds and chased relentlessly by Grunt, the beast retreated back inside the ground. The stake still impaled on his body cracked and broke when hitting the ground, its pieces showering the entire arena with deadly shards and forcing everyone to take cover.

Bellowing in pain, the Thresher Maw disappeared into the earth.

An eerie quiet invaded the arena.

"Is it...over?" asked Lena tentatively to anyone in particular.

"Maybe yes." answered Shepard "Maybe getting skewered by a massive spear was enough to get him to fuck off." Cautiously, the commander moved toward the tunnel, weapons at hand and feet ready to run if necessary.

"What?! don't you dare run away, you cursed snake!" bellowed Grunt inside the hole left by the beast. Lena cursed loudly at this. The last thing she wanted was having the creature coming back for a second round. "You and I are not done yet!"

But no one answered. No bellows of rage, no sound of scales moving. Nothing.

Lena sighed of relief at this. It was over finally! The beast had been defeated, and Grunt had completed his rite of passage.

They could finally go home!

At least, until Lena heard Garrus screaming something from the perch they had refuged Tali, gesturing wildly with his Omni-tool. He looked scared, terrified almost, and when he saw that Shepard had still not noticed his actions.

"Shepard" Lena quickly warned the commander, pointing at Garrus. Shepard looked back at Garrus, trying to understand what he was saying, but the dust of the battle mixed with the distance made it impossible for Shepard to do so.

Considering the distance, Shepard decided to try to contact Garrus via the inter-comm but received only garbled noises in response "My comm bead is busted Lena," he said to Lena "It was installed on the helmet, and now it is a piece of slag. Yours?"

"You saw the state of my armour?" replied Lena laconically "That cursed acid did a number on everyone."

Meanwhile, seeing that his shouts had no effects, Shepard saw Garrus throwing cautions to the wind and running toward their positions, still screaming something toward them. But this time he also gestured with his hands. He pointed frantically at the earth, then at Shepard again and again.

This time, something clicked inside Shepard's heads, and the commander felt his blood turn cold.

"Shepard," asked Lena back to him, sensing his newfound fear. Shepard didn't even bother to answer, and pointed his Omni-tool at the ground, scanning as fast as he could.

What he saw immediately confirmed his fears.

"Run!" he shouted immediately.

"Shepard, what?"

"Scatter!" he repeated.

It was too late: with a loud sound, the Thresher Maw destroyed the arena right beneath Shepard's and Lena's feet, throwing them away like dolls on the wind.

Shepard flew into the air for what felt to him like hours until he finally hit the ground with a loud thud. The hit took all breath away from Shepard's lungs but, surprisingly, it came out mostly unscathed.

When his eyes managed to regain some senses, he understood why: he had landed on the mangled carcass of one of the many beasts they had killed this day. The strength of the slam had literally squashed the poor beast's corpse into bits, and Shepard was now covered in gore and blood exploded from the carcass after the hit, but he was fine. He felt that some ribs were bruised but nothing more.

Lena had not been so lucky: no corpse or body part stopped her travel into the air, only a steel beam. The Claymore managed at the last second to twist her body mid-air and avoid to hit the crossbar with her back, but the legs still felt the brunt of the strike.

Lena felt the bones of her legs breaking under the blow, and an anguished scream of pain escaped from her lips all while her sight escaped from her eyes. She fell on the ground, her legs now useless and shaking in pain. Her sword, a second before tightly lodged in her arms, was now gone and far away from her.

When she tried to move, her body answered with stabs of pure pain.

"Lena!" shouted Shepard to her. He fought against the pain and moved away from the broken mess that had been its life-saver. Behind him, he heard the sound of Garrus's sniper rifle crackling at the beast, and he was sure that Grunt was somewhere nearby already blasting at it.

Too little, too late.

The wounded beast, now mere meters away from them and sensing Lena's distress, moved for the kill and swallowed her whole.

* * *

Everything hurt like hell. Her legs, her arms, her body, her heads, there was not a single piece of her that was not screaming at Lena to simply give up. But she didn't.

Because she refused to surrender to a goddesses forsaken giant worm after surviving for too long!

The moment Lena felt the tongue of the beast wrapping down her body was the moment her brain just understood how in danger she was and pushed back all the darkness in favour of survival.

She could do nothing to stop the tongue from dragging her toward the massive maws of the beast, so she simply let it do it.

When she finally reached the mouth, and the massive maws opened revealing a fleshy cavern waiting to devour her, Lena stroke with all her power on her arms in an attempt to free herself from the tongue.

It worked, but too late, and instead of falling away from the beast, she ended right into the middle of the beast's jowls.

Lena fell on something fleshy and cold that immediately reacted to her presence and tried to dislodge away. Flesh walls wanted to move her, bone teeth hit her, and the Claymore felt like she was riding a massive bull. One hell-bent of ripping her apart from its back.

It almost succeeded but, just a second away from falling into her doom, Lena's outstretched hand grabbed something stable and held it for dear life. It was a fleshy bump, some kind of hole covered in old, greyish flesh as strong as steel and placed next to the lower teeth. Maybe once it held something valuable inside the beast's mouth, perhaps it was an old wound caused by someone as insane as Grunt. Lena couldn't care less at the moment.

It was here, and it was saving her.

The effort proved almost fatal, and Lena felt the pain of the wounds coupled with the insane pressure almost ripping her apart. She poured every inch of her remaining yoki on her right arm to hold on, and it worked somehow. Her flesh mutated wildly in answer to such a request, broke the armour and turned the white tissue into pitch-black scales right in front of her. Claws appeared in place of fingers, digging deep inside the beast's hide. The backlash of reawakening her right arm almost sent her over the edge, but the pain this time helped her stemming the tide.

The arm was gone, awakened beyond repairing, but her mind was still whole.

Lena swore weakly in pain. Her arm, despite the new claws, was losing the grasp. All around her, the muffled sounds of guns firing mixed with the noises of the beast in a twisted cacophony that maddened her ears.

Lena's brain wracked itself desperately to think of something, anything that could get her out of this mess, but nothing come to her mind. Her sword was gone, and the machine gun was nowhere to be seen. Her armour was in shambles and her right arm, despite the mutation, was on the verge of collapsing. Her grenades...

Lena's eyes lit for a moment. The grenades! They were still here and ready to be used. If only she could somehow detonate them inside the mouth then...

Another wave of pain crashed upon her. She could not last for much longer, and she knew it.

"To hell with it!" she mouthed "If I have to die" the free hand grasped the grenade belt locked on her chest "Then let's try everything." Shacky fingers clicked on the activation button of one grenade. Using her last drops of strength, Lena arched her left hand and prepared to throw her deadly payload right in the beast's teeth, but her strength failed her this time. Her tired hand opened up at the last second, allowing the belt to slip away from her. Groaning in desperation, Lena saw her lethal cargo falling deep inside the Maw's gullet.

The belt dropped far, far below the Thresher Maw's throat, its deadly payload blinking dangerously every second of its travel until it ended inside the beast's stomach and landed on something metallic.

Lena had no idea, but Thresher Maws were creatures renown for being capable of eating absolutely everything. Krogans, Salarians, Humans, machines, everything either living or death always ended up inside the monster's gullet if allowed to do so. This was one of the reasons such beasts were so feared in the universe.

Such prizes always took a long time to be digested by the Maw's stomachs, even with its powerful acids, and could remain for days before being completely disintegrated.

One of the previous lunches was right now simmering inside the stomach, a Krogan APC swallowed whole just one day before coming in the arena. Coupled with the crew, fuel and explosives stashed within.

Everything necessary to make a beautiful mess of things.

When the grenade detonated, the clouds of fuel around the stomach lit on fire almost instantly. This generated a chain reaction that inglobed the APC and all of its content in a ball of fire.

Shards of metal and burning fuel exploded all around the stomach, ripping away chunks of flesh at every hit. An entire section of the Thresher Maw's internal organs were torn apart from their places and disgorged their fleshy entrails. Scores of blood, deprived of its normal exit, started resurfacing from the throat like a tidal wave.

This was what Lena's grenades managed to do to the Thresher Maw, and this was what was about to hit the small Claymore still lodged in its mouth.

* * *

"And now what?!" shouted Garrus in exasperation. Both him, Grunt and Shepard had been firing to the bloody beast the moment they managed to regain some measures of control. Seeing Lena swallowed by the Thresher Maw had done a number to everyone outside. No one could believe it: the peerless swordswoman, the person that could fight in melee against husks, Krogans, massive mechs and Collectors' monsters had just died! Like this, swallowed by an oversized worm!

The surprise was quickly ripped away by a more brutal emotion: vengeance.

Surprisingly, Grunt was the first to react. Roaring all of his madness the young Krogan took his last thermal clips and poured shots over shots on the beast's back. He didn't care about the rain of acid or the danger of coming so close to a wounded animal. Frothing in rage, he simply moved forward and aimed for the kill.

Shepard and Garrus reacted in the same way. The cold fury of seeing a fallen comrade fueled their pain, and soon a stream of automatic fire hit the animal's face with relentless violence.

The Thresher Maw reeled under the violence and prepared itself to strike at the remaining enemies. Shepard saw the beast's maw opening in preannouncing of a second attack, and his brain screamed at him to dive for cover.

Then, all of a sudden, the beast stopped.

Such behaviour surprised Shepard. It made no sense for the beast to stop right now: it was poised for the kill, ready to pounce at him; stopping would have only granted its prey a chance to escape.

-Then why did it stop?- Screamed Shepard's brain. His eyes then immediately noticed something else.

Smoke. There was smoke escaping from the beast's wounds now.

It almost looked like a flamethrower had been ignited from the inside of the beast. Shepard could do nothing less than gape at the insanity of the situation in front at him. Never, in all his life, had he seen such a spectacle.

An anguished scream of pain escaped from the beast's throat, one of absolute misery and rage that shocked Shepard to the very core and left the commander even more confused.

Just what the hell had happened inside the beast?

"Shepard!" Garrus interrupted the commander's thinking with a taloned hand, pointing at specific flying debris falling down on the sky. It was bigger than the others and glinted weakly in the sun. It also had a roughly humanoid shape. When Shepard locked at his eyes at it, he quickly understood Garrus's movements.

That debris was Lena. And she was coming down, hard.

"Shit shit!" cursed Shepard "We need some kind of mass effect field, and we need it now!"

"No one is biotic here, Shepard" replied Garrus, "But I think I can do something."

Garrus didn't even wait for a reply and moved away, following Lena trajectory with his eyes. When he reached the place where Lena was supposed to fall, Garrus planted his feet on the ground and waited with his arms outstretched, waiting for her all while he removed part of his armour plates from the chest.

All of this didn't make sense for Shepard. Did he want to grab Lena mid-air? The hit would have still killed her!

Then, the second Lena's body reached Garrus, Shepard saw his friend's arms hitting the Claymore's frame and sliding together with her on the ground. He literally accompanied her last meter of the fall with his body, arching it and allowing to hit his flesh instead of the hard ground. They both fell on the dirt, the impact enough to make even a Turian like Garrus to stagger and fell on the ground, but they looked mostly fine.

"Garrus," asked Shepard after seeing this stunt "How?"

"I grew on Palaven Shepard." replied Garrus, his arms still wrapped on Lena " A place full of scalable mountains that I loved to climb. The first thing my instructor taught me was how to drop in case of slipping out properly. Second, how to grab someone that is falling from a cliff."

It was almost incredible to believe: Lena had fallen from a height of at least ten meters, and yet he somehow managed to ease her fall without breaking his bones in the process!

"Good job." he simply replied "You must show me how to reply that trick next time. How is she?"

"Bad." replied Garrus while looking at Lena "Her vitals are off the charts. Bones of the legs broken in six points at least, burn marks everywhere, a significant concussion in the head, and her right arm is a mess! She needs medical care as much as Tali, and she needs it now!" his mandibles twitched in pain for a second "And I need a second to make myself better after this stunt."

"Understood. Move away with Lena and find a safe place to hide. Just use the sniper rifle."

"And you?"

Shepard didn't reply immediately. Instead, he activated his Omni-tool and pointed it at the wounded Thresher maw, looking at the streams of data coming from it. He had no idea about how, but now it was clear: somehow Lena had managed to ignite some kind of explosive sack of gas placed inside the beast's body. Probably using her grenades. It was not unknown for these beasts to devour metal as well as flesh, so it was not that far fetched as a theory.

Most of the gas was gone at this point, explaining the sorry state of the creature, but there were some traces still lingering in the air, just next to the thrashing beast. And these traces could easily be ignited again with the correct shot of a missile launcher.

"I will ignite the remaining gas and kill this fucker for good!"

"You want to do what!? Shepard!" screamed Garrus at this idea "Have you gone insane?! Just hunker down and wait for it to go away."

"And as you said, Tali and Lena need medical care now so we can't afford to waste time! Now obey!"

Garrus tried to protest again. Still, Shepard simply darted away, his missile launcher already on his hands and his eyes aimed at the beast. He had only one last shot in the barrel. If he missed it, he was done."

"Grunt! Distract it for one last time!" ordered Shepard and the Krogan complied, firing his last shots down into the wounded beast. Once again heavy calibre slugs shredded what was left of the Maw's scales, creating even more holes from where torn organs poured out. Until Grunt heard the sound of a spent gun.

"All out, Shepard!" he shouted, and the commander nodded. He was in position.

Shepard's legs planted themselves on the ground, uncaring on the tremor caused by the beast now so close to them. The commander grabbed his missile launcher and locked the last missile in his possession inside, taking aim at the creature.

The Thresher Maw finally felt him, and the possible danger of his arrival, and turned toward it. It was a broken mess of flesh, bone and organs at this point, its life energy seeping away from dozens of excruciating wounds, but it still refused to back down. Maddened by the pain, he simply charged at the commander without care nor prudence, wanting only to kill.

Shepard was unfazed by this. He could not afford the luxury of fear at this point, because one mistake and he would end up as a Thresher Maw's dinner.

The beast devoured the meters that separated it from Shepard, thrashing and breaking everything in its path. But it was not the right time, so Shepard waited. It moved even closer after even more seconds, the mouth now mere meters away from Shepard's frame. So so close. Garrus close his eyes in fear of what would happen.

"Eat it, bitch!" finally roared Shepard at the beast. The missile flew away from the barrel and darted toward the head of the Thresher Maw. The aim was true, and it detonated precisely one second before hitting the beast, igniting the remaining gas.

An apocalyptic explosion followed the missile's detonation, one strong enough to deafen Shepard and threw him back on the ground. Cherry red flames ignited into the air, and the head of the Thresher Maw simply ceased to exist, turning into a twisted mess of bones and brain matter. What was left of its flesh rained on the battlefield, covering the squad in gore and red pieces. The body, now severed from the head, twitched madly in the air before collapsing on the ground with enough strength to make the earth shake.

Now it was finally over.

"Sprits, I cannot believe it!" declared Garrus behind his hiding spot. The hands covering his face were slightly opened, enough to reveal an utterly astonished visage. "I saw it, and I still cannot believe it! you actually did it!"

"Shepard!" bellowed Grunt "That was amazing! You truly are a battle-master worthy of being followed until the end!"

"Yeah yeah, thank me later," groaned Shepard back to them. His ears were ringing, and he was having some trouble staying still for more than two seconds. But apart from that, he felt mostly fine.

"Garrus, I fear you are the only one with still functioning comms. Call the Normandy and tell them to send a shuttle asap. Also, ask them to warn doctor Chackwas about incoming patients. We need to."

"Wait, Shepard" interrupted him Grunt. He pointed at one place horizon with his now empty shotgun, just before the exit to the destroyed arena

"Some Krogans are coming, and the shaman is not among them."

* * *

 **Center of the arena, next to the dead Thresher Maw. 2 minutes later.**

The unwelcome guest turned out to be nothing more than Uvenck itself alongside two of his bodyguards. Like every self-respecting Krogan on Tuchanka, they were coming armed and armoured to the teeth. Yet, they were not used against them as Shepard had first suspected. For what other reason would that bastard come here if not for killing the "mistake" as he had so candidly pointed out mere hours ago? There was no love lost between Udvenck and them, and the commander had half-expected to be embroiled in another fight the moment that giant asshole entered the arena alongside his goons. Instead, the Krogan ambassador calmly reached Grunt and the rest of the still-standing squad, his weapons still holstered in their places and his eyes glued to the Thresher Maw's corpse.

Behind Shepard, Garrus took his sniper rifle and aimed at one of the Krogan but still refused to fire. Grunt placed himself next to the commander ready to brawl if necessary all while Shepard quietly unholstered his last, loaded weapon, the shotgun.

"Uvenck!" bellowed Shepard to the trio when they were finally in front of them "Why are you here?"

If he was angry at the sudden brashness of Shepard's request, the Krogan ambassador did a great job at hiding it.

"You slew a Thresher Maw!" he simply replied back to them. "Wrex was the last one that managed to perform such a feat, centuries ago! You truly are a powerful creature, Grunt!"

"I was not alone!" replied Grunt with pride at this. He did not even tried to hide his gloating "My Krannts granted me strength beyond my genes, that are already amazing by themselves!"

"Yes, they did, but this not reduce the height of your achievements." murmured Udvenck again "Enough to make me rethink about previous assumption."

Now this phrase surprised everyone still standing, especially Grunt.

"You see Grunt as a Krogan now, Uvenk?" asked Shepard flabbergasted. Udvenk scoffed at this.

"Of course not, human! He is, and will always be, a product of artificial breeding; a thing. But his power is simply too great to be squandered. Wrex would use it to enforce his ludicrous new ways on my people. I could use it to set this place on the right path. For this reason, Grunt, I am willing to let you enter inside my clan."

Garrus's mandibles twitched in utter surprise at this, all while Shepard could not prevent himself from looking at Uvenk in total amazement. Grunt, on the other hand, gritted his teeth.

"You come here, spitting on my name, on my Krannts's names, and then offer me to enter inside your clan?!" He bellowed loudly enough to unnerve the guards behind the ambassador, but now Uvenk.

"With limitation, of course" continued imperterred the ambassador "You will not take a mate, or command warriors in battle, but you will receive your clan name and be one of us."

"What an astonishing offer!" chided Shepard sarcastically "Grunt, it is your choice to make, but please be quick about it."

"My choice?!" roared the young Krogan back, and he answered his way.

It happened all in a second. With uncanny grace from one of his species, Grunt tackled Uvenk on the ground and ended the negotiations in his way, dragging the other Krogan back on the sand and mercilessly pummeling him with his bloodied fist.

"Here is my answer, you Pijiack!" he roared at a struggling Uvenk "I reject your offer, I reject your pitful clan. I. Am. Krogan!"

he shouted with all of his might back ad Uvenk that was desperately trying to defend himself.

The guards behind him quickly grabbed their weapons and aimed at Grunt, but failed to count Shepard and Garrus in the mix.

One-shot from Garrus's sniper rifle shattered the shield of the Krogan on the left, and Shepard quickly capitalized on this by blasting the warrior's head with his shotgun. The now headless Krogan slumped down on the ground without a sound.

The other Krogan dived for cover and avoided the second sniper shot and fired wildly at Shepard, that barely eluded the blast.

Shepard quickly aimed his shotgun at the second Krogan, but this time, when he pulled the trigger, he only felt the sound of an ejecting clip and nothing more.

"You got to be kidding me!" cursed Shepard while looking at the ammo counter.

All out. The Krogan in front of him smirked savagely at this.

Another blast hit the place where Shepard was standing a second ago. And another and another. Shepard sidestepped away from the enemy, moving for cover to cover and trying to think about a way to deal with this new problem. One blast clipped him right into the right shoulder and destroyed what was left of his armour, but nothing more.

-Jacob will have to work overtime this night.- Thought Shepard grimly

"Welcome to my perch Shepard!" Garrus sarcastically greeted him once he moved for his part of cover "Any idea how we deal with this problem? I am at my last shot right now."

"Just give me a second Garrus," he replied. His gaze wandered around the battlefield, trying to get a grip of the situation. Grunt was happily beating venk, so no problem from there. The first guard was dead but too far away for reaching his thermal clips, and the first guards seemed hell-bent of killing Garrus and Shepard instead of helping his boss. As if to point it, another wave of bullets hit their cover, creating a small storm of dust and rocks.

It was at that moment that Shepard saw it. Lena's sword, glinting in the sun, was just some meters away from him.

That sword could cut through Krogans's scales, Shepard knew it. But could he use it with the same ability of Lena? Could he kill a Krogan with it?

-Well, only one way to find out!- he thought. It was a stupid, desperate idea, but the only one with a slim chance of success right now.

"I am gonna use Lena's sword. When I grab it, break the Krogan's shield with your last shot."

"You what?!" bellowed Garrus of course "Shepard, this is the stupidest thing you even considered about doing."

Shepard didn't reply. Instead, he looked at Garrus in the eye and then pointed at the Thresher Maw's carcass.

"Point taken" conceded Garrus "This is the second stupidest thing you ever considered about doing."

"Got a better idea that is not waiting until he kill us?" replied Shepard this time

"No, but"

"Then do it!"

And then he sprinted away from cover, not waiting for any reply. Shepard immediately felt the sound of bullets impacting his kinetic barriers, and this made him redouble his efforts. The sword was close in theory, but when you are under fire, two meters can become two hundred.

Two, three, Shepard lost the count of how many shots impacted his shields and armor until he felt a sharp pain in his back, followed by the sound of blood dropping on the ground. He grunted in pain but moved on. His armor stimmed him up with all the adrenaline shots left in the containers, and the pain disappeared.

The sword was now whiting his grasp, and Shepard wasted no time in grabbing it. He took it with both hands, and almost fell on the ground.

Shepard was strong, stronger than many humans in the galaxy thanks to both his training and enhancements received from Cerberus. And yet he almost fell on the ground when he grabbed the hilt of the black blade and tried to raise it.

The weight was insane, far greater than any weapons eve used by Shepard. Greater than even some Krogans's guns

-How the fuck she always manage to swing this hunk of metal with so much grace is beyond me.-

Wondered Shepard astonished. Still, this was not the time to ponder. Shots were still raining upon him. Just another shattered the stone centimeters behind him.

Redoubling his forces, Shepard finally raised raised the black blade away from the ground and pointed at the Krogan as a spear. More than this, he could not do it.

The Krogan guard saw this new menace and aimed once again his gun at Shepard, but before he could fire once again, the last shot from Garrus hit him. The shield exploded under the blow, opening his body for Shepard's attack.

With a shout of rage, Shepard burned the last meters and aimed at the Krogan's head. So startled was the Krogan by both the sudden attack and shot from Garrus that he failed to avoid the sword.

The blade hit the Krogan at the base of the neck, and it dug deep inside it. Blood spurted everywhere while scales broke and shattered under the black metal, but they held. Shepard tried, he tried as hard as possible to keep the momentum, but it was simply too much for him.

The sword weighed like a mountain on his tired hands, and the Krogan was simply too big and strong for him to push.

Roaring in pain, the Krogan dropped his weapon on the ground and grabbed the sword still lodged in the base of his neck. He ripped it apart from him, despite Shepard's attempt of keeping it in place, with such strength that Shepard lost his footing and almost fell on the ground. Then, one of his fists hit Shepard square in the face. Shepard grunted in utter pain, and the commander lost the grip on the sword, his vision clouded by torrents of blood spilling from his nose.

He fell, clutching his face and groaning in pain while the Krogan grabbed Lena's sword and raised it on the air.

The sword stroke, and Shepard barely managed to avoid it by blundering away from it. The wounded Krogan growled in frustration at this and stroke again, and again, and again. Still, Shepard managed to rumble away from the sword at the last second, until he stumbled into something metallic on his back. Turning toward the source, his face still covered in blood, Shepard saw the Krogan's shotgun the warrior had dropped when hit by Lena's sword. Loaded and primed.

Shepard reacted as fast as he could, and he grabbed the massive shotgun with his hands. Behind him the Krogan raised the sword another time, ready to cleave Shepard in half now that he was still in place.

The sword flew in the air, but a second before connecting with Shepard, the shotgun boomed in the air and hit the Krogan square in the chest.

The kickback of the weapon almost dislocated Shepard's shoulders but did the job. The Krogan's armour shattered under the blast, flesh and bones were shredded, and the warrior fell on his back alongside the sword, shouting in pain.

He was down, his chest a broken mess and utterly unable to raise from the ground. He couldn't even move his arms or legs. He could only growl in pain and rage at the hopelsness of the situation.

Shepard didn't allow to do even that. He reached his resting place, and cracked his weakened head with the butt of the shotgun.

This sound was followed by one of a neck snapped, alongside Grunt's cries of victory. Uvenk was now also death, his neck broken.

Now it was truly over.

"Spirits! I cannot believe that we survived this mess!" murmured Garrus after the battle, observing the battlefield "I am calling the Normandy."

"Yeah!" groaned Shepard in pain. Now that it was finally over, all the pain kept at bay by adrenaline was coming back to bite him. "And warn Wrex that we will soon be back for ending the ceremony." another stab of pain stopped Shepard mid-sentence and made him moan in frustration

"And let's hope that nothing else come to beat us today!"

 **So, hope is good. See you next time**


	23. Chapter 16-2 Tuchanka The assistant

**Next chapter here, this time with Lena's reawakening and Mordin's loyalty mission. We're almost done with Tuchanka people. Just missing a last chapter. After that, main mission time.**

 **See you later people, and as always make sure to tell me if you liked (or not). How i'm supposed to improve if i do not receive feedback?**

 **Tuchanka. The missing assistant**

 **Normandy' infirmary 26 march 2185. 13 49 ship hour**

Darkness. That was all that Lena's eyes could see in the distance. Her mind remembered the only fragments of what happened to her. The Gaping maws of the beast ready to swallow her; the desperate holding inside its mouth; the columns of fire erupting from her neck. But after that, only Darkness. One so thick that it swallowed every light and prevented her from seeing what was happening.

The dark was not barren thought: Inside it, the Claymore heard voices.

Voices that she knew quite well.

"Good...od"

"Will she...fine?"

"...ve me the..."

"No...sts...llowed. Not even yo.."

It was Kasumi's voice, and the good doctor's. And Raina's. They were calling for her, but they felt so distant, so far.

Their words swirled inside her void, barely understandable by Lena's fractured psyche and yet, despite all of this, Lena's mind still recognized what was happening to her. She had been wounded by the blast, severely. Enough to have her body enter in some coma for her safety.

Not an uncommon occurrence for her since she ended inside this blasted universe. How many time had she risked death in battle against yoma, aliens and goddesses knew what else since she became a Claymore?

But this time, there was something slightly different: every time she ended up wounded, the oppressive presence of the yoma always tried to wrestle control from her, to be free to feast on humans and let loose its inner beast. Even now, Lena could feel the beast clawing at her mind, vying for dominance, but now its presence felt different. Tamer.

Gone was the brutal pressure that tortured her body and mind in the past years, replaced by a weak mewling of a wounded beast. Was it because she was now half-awakened? Was this new state of her being capable of handling the monster within her better than before? Was this the secret of the seven ghosts?

Lena had no answer to these questions, and at this point, he could not care. All she cared right now was to get out.

For this reason, she decided to focus on the voices and damn all the rest. They were far, far away from her, but time meant nothing in this strange, eerie dimension of her mind.

She only had to find a way to grasp them.

"Doct.r...work"

"I...e...me"

The voice's tone changed in the response of her moves. Surprise and hope now brimmed within them as she saw a small sliver of light making way through the Darkness. The Claymore redoubled her efforts, uncaring about any pain of fatigue plaguing her mind.

The voices were so close now, and light images of people emerged from the light. She just needed to push a bit more...

And all of a sudden, with a weak cry of pain and defiance, Lena awoke from her slumber.

Her tired eyes were attacked by a blinding light that almost compelled them to go back in the dark, but someone quickly reduced their level for her, allowing her tired pupils to wander into the ether.

She was inside the infirmary, that one was clear even for her tired self. The texture of the steel beds covered in that silken frame that so much entranced her inside Aran's ship was biting her back, and the buzzing sound of dozens of medical beds invaded her ears.

"Already awake, I cannot believe it." said a voice next to her "You keep breaking every expectations dear."

Lena's neck turned slowly toward the source of the voice, and her eyes saw the worried face of doctor Chackwas looking at her. On her right arm, her Omni-tool brimmed whit life and scanned the Claymore for her vitals. When Lena tried to respond, only tired grunt escaped from her lips.

"Easy girl," chided Chackwas gently "You have just awakened from a seven-hour long coma. Your body needs to remember itself."

"You forgot to add that is already a miracle that she awoke at all doctor!" added playfully someone else inside the room. It was Kasumi's voice, and Lena managed to catch a glimpse of the lively thief despite her current weakness. She was a bit further from her bed and near the exit door; next to her Raina slept on one of the free medical beds.

Kasumi's cloak was off, something quite unusual for the cheerful thief that allowed Lena to see her painted face. It had been used to cover Raina's sleeping body like a blanket, and the girl was resting peacefully together with her new teddy bear from Illium.

"What were your words just two hours ago? It will be a miracle if she will wake up in four days if at all?" said Kasumi back to the doctor "And look at that!"

"I know what I said, Ms Goto" grumbled the doctor back "But I had forgotten that Miss Lena is a walking paradox when it comes to conventional medicine."

Their banter was amusing, but Lena had no intentions of wasting her time here in a bed. Struggling with her body, she tried to stand up, but something metallic stopped her on her track. When she turned around to see the source of this new problem, her eyes witnessed in surprise the frame of a metal cage enveloping her entire right arm until the base of the shoulder.

"Ah, that!" quipped the doctor back to Lena, seeing the question inside her eyes "Sorry Lena, but when you arrived, your arm had already mutated out of control, just like last time after Korlus. That is why I decided to encase it inside that metal cage."

Lena's arm rattled inside the cage out of pure instinct, but the metal and the straps held her still, forcing the Claymore to get back to her bed.

"Please avoid rattling too much Lena, this is for your good." insisted the doctor "I will remove it once Mordin and I find a way to bring it back to normal."

"And how long will it take for you two to find a solution?" asked Lena back with gritted teeth. She did not like this accommodation at all. The arm felt overly constricted, and she felt the cold metal already itching on her skin.

"Some days, at least." replied Chackwas after some seconds of rumination "Doctor Solus is down with Shepard right now, alongside Mordin and other agents. It will take a while before they come back, assuming the come back in one piece on the first place. Besides"

"Wait!" Lena stopped the doctor in mid-track "Shepard is still down? After that hell of a fight?"

"Yes, he is." fussed Chackwas "Despite all my protests. Three broken ribs, a split nose and who knows how many cuts and bruises and he still refused to be hospitalized. He just allowed to be patched and grab a new set of armor up before jumping back into that accursed planet." a sigh escaped from the old doctor "Soldiers. Always ready to kill themselves."

"And the others?" pressed Lena "Are they fine?"

"Garrus is fine. Just some minor cuts and bruises. Grunt, not that much. But their traditions dictate that the shaman must heal the wounds of the winning aspirant, so he remained inside Urdnot's camp. And Tali.." The doctor pointed at another bedframe, one placed at the end of the infirmary and covered with what looked some kind of broad, medical tent not present just some yesterday. It included an entire angle of the infirmary, and the Claymore saw the symbol of medical hazard prevention stamped at the centre of the fabric. The cloth was transparent thought, allowing Lena to pierce inside with her eyes. And what she saw..

"Is she?" asked Lena fearfully. Inside that secluded part of the infirmary rested Tali on an unusually large bed, covered in a yellow medical suit that isolated her whole body from the air and linked to various medical machines. All around her strange contraptions purified the air while a computer regularly checked the number of bacterias present in the zone. She was breathing, that was clear to see, but apart from that, the girl looked dead.

"No Lena." quickly assured Chackwas "She is out of danger, thankfully. The scorching air of Tuchanka wreaked havoc on her body, but I managed to clear away most of the infections and destroy the pathogens inside her." Tired eyes appeared on the doctor's face while remembering that distinct moment "It took four hours of work, but I did it. Still, she will need to stay inside that clear room for at least four days, and to be constantly monitored."

"I...i see, doctor. And Raina? Why is Raina here with you?"

"Ah, Raina." huffed the doctor "When your daughter discovered that you were, again, in a coma, the poor girl started to lose control of herself. Kelly, of course, immediately come to her aid, and somehow managed to calm her down, for a time. But when Raina discovered that both her mother AND her beloved teacher were in danger of life, she lost it. She stormed my infirmary despite Kelly's attempt to stop her, pretending to see you and resisted any attempt to keep her away from you. She even bit Ms Goto with her teeth when we tried to get her out of the infirmary."

"She...bit Kasumi?" interrupted Lena shocked "For real?"

"For real!" answered Kasumi back "And let me tell you Lena: your daughter has one hell of a bite." She pointed at her right hand, where the leather of her gloves had been now ripped away at the height of the palm. Lena covered her eyes in shame at this.

"Don't feel angry about this. She was in shock, so is understandable, and begged for our forgiveness after calming down." cooed Kasumi

"Does not mean that I will not find a suitable punishment for her after I am free from this cage." grumbled Lena back "Biting people. What a joke!"

"Regardless" continued the doctor "In the end, we allowed to let her inside the infirmary, as long as she stood still and let me do the job in perfect silence, and she kept her promise. After that, and calming down a bit, I decided to let be here with you for the night. I even gave her some paper and a pencil to pass some time."

"Pencil and paper?" Lena failed to understand the reason for this last action, and her eyes showed it.

"Yes, for drawing." replied the doctor "An old suggestion from a pediatrist and good friend of mine. He assured me that the best way to distract children without having them running amok is giving them something to draw. I planked her papers on that wall."

It was true. Locked with some glue on the wall near the doctor's working desk now rested a pair of crude drawings made with pencils, showing what looked like Tali and Lena sleeping on a bed with the doctor looking at them. The picture was, of course, childish. Small black lines and crosses stitched together to the point that only the name scribbled near the images revealed to Lena the subjects' identity. And yet the amalgamation of clumsy lines, hearts and smiles were so cute that one rare smile managed to wrench away from the Claymore's lips at sight.

"Adorable, isn't it?" chided Kasumi back to her "She was so cute when she drew them, all hyperfocused and serious. Children can be so cute sometimes!"

"Yes, they can." agreed Lena heartily "Doctor, please warn me when Shepard comes back. I need to speak to him."

"I will" promised Chackwas "But now try to sleep, no matter how hard it feels. Superwoman or not, even someone like you need some actual rest after waking up from a coma."

"I am tired of sleeping doctor" replied Lena back in response "Can I not really."

Someone else entered inside the infirmary, and Lena stopped speaking the moment she saw who the newcomer was. It was Kelly, the worried face and the pair of earring clasped on her ears unmistakable even for Lena's tired eyes.

Her eyes betrayed anxiety once inside, quickly followed by happiness once she saw that Lena was safe.

"Counsellor," asked doctor Chackwas to the girl "What bring you here?"

"Ehm...I" blabbed Kelly at first

"Specialist Chambers asked to be immediately informed about agent Lena'awakening," answered EDI of all people inside the room.

"EDI!" snapped Kelly back, but the damage was already done.

"Oh, really!? What a considerate girlfriend you are Kelly!" snickered Kasumi back at the girl "I am out, doctor. Giving the two lovebirds some space. Call me when I can retake my coat."

"We are not!" tried to shout back Lena and Kelly, both their faces flushed, but Kasumi had already disappeared, leaving them to speak with the air, leaving two dumbfounded girls and a smiling doctor alone.

"Ah, is good to be young!" commented the doctor at this "I will be checking Tali for a while. The place is soundproof, so feel free to have a long chat. Later."

More shouts of protests erupted from the couple's mouth, but the whistling doctor merely ignored them and quickly left Lena alone with Kelly after wearing a yellow biohazard suit. She entered inside Tali's decontaminated zone, something that immediately increased the machines' workout, and began working on some terminal.

She never turned toward the two girls, always showing her back to them.

They were alone now, and both had no idea of what to say.

"So...how, do you feel Lena?" tried to ask Kelly rigidly. Lena raised both eyebrows at this question.

-This is going to be a looong day!- She cringed on her mind.

* * *

 **Tuchanka. Clan Weyrlok's territory. 4 before Lena's awakening**

"Shepard, sure you can use the binoculars properly?"

"Yes, Jack. Thanks for asking!"

"You sure? Because your face still looks like a fucking"

"I said I am fine, Jack! Focus on my mission instead of my face. We are inside enemy territory if you have forgotten!"

Jack shrugged at this outburst and resumed her watch on the endless dusty plains of Tuchanka, freeing Shepard from her unexpected nagging. Shepard needed this quiet because this mission was promising to be even more dangerous to Grunt's initiation rite, and that was saying something.

According to Wrex's sources, the Salarian they were looking for had been captured by a Krogan clan named Weirlock, a very traditionalist and dangerous bunch of warriors at war against pretty much everyone on the planet, even themselves from time to time. Why such a tribe had captured, and not merely killed the Salarian on sight, was beyond Shepard and right now he didn't care.

The plan was simple: entering inside one of the less defended zones of the tribe's territory, finding the place where they keep the prisoner and free him before an army of angry Krogan come swarming at them with guns blazing. No useless fanfare, no pointless battles. A quick strike in, and out.

For this reason, Shepard had chosen to bring nothing more than a small but mighty group this time, comprised by Samara, Mordin and Jack.

Mere firepower would not save them if discovered. They needed to hit quickly and hit hard if they wanted to have a single chance of victory.

So far they had been lucky: they met only scant patrols of poorly armed Vorcha and couples of Krogans guards barring their way, trifling enemies that they quickly dispatched with the combinations of fire, biotic powers and electronics before having the chance of warning the rest of the tribe. But now, after one hour of trudging and sneaking, the group was coming closer to what, according to the intel ripped away from the guard's corpses was the VIP's prison. An old, semi-abandoned hospital in the middle of nowhere.

Semi abandoned because it was bristling with Vorcha and Krogans right now.

"Mordin, before moving you told me that there are many secret entrances for this hospital, correct?"

"Correct!" exclaimed the aged doctor next to him "Used this same facility years ago, during the last expedition on Tuchanka. Created various secret exits in case of immediate extractions. Surmise that Krogan clan want something from my apprentice and he asked in exchange to be relocated here. Increasing chances of escaping in case of a rescue party."

"It might be." conceded Shepard "But I am still unsure." His binoculars moved again away from the hospital itself and toward the Krogan guards. They were few, barely ten if Shepard's eyes were right. And they looked peaceful, almost happy for some reason. "There is something strange about this assembly, but I cannot put my hand into what it is. Anyone coming into the horizon, Jack?"

"No one Shepard. It is all quiet as fuck!" replied the young convict brashly.

"Good. How long before the hatch is open then?"

Shepard was talking about one of said "secret" emergency exits by Mordin. An old tunnel semi-buried in the scorching sand placed just beyond a small hill that overlooked the hospital in all its crumbling glory. Nothing more than a circular door painted with the same colour of the dust covering Tuchanka and enhanced by some special paint that would prevent it from glinting when hit by the sun.

Sealed, shut, and welded, of course.

Currently, the old Salarian was busy trying various combinations on an old panel, all while Samara helped him in clearing with her powers the worst of the rust and corruption that had seeped inside the old machines.

"Five more minutes Shepard. Lucky to find this passage still functioning. Tuchanka's air usually capable of destroying even the most resilient of structures."

-Too lucky if you ask me.- Groaned Shepard softly. The whole thing smelled like a trap to Shepard. The prisoner inside the same hospital where it had worked in the past, the old passages never found, the strange ways the Krogans moved. Everything screamed at him that he was missing something crucial of the puzzle. But no matter how much he wracked his brain at it, he could not understand what! And so, refusing to lose himself in pointless debates, he stood still and spied the Krogans with his binoculars, wary of every suspect movements.

"Open!" exclaimed Mordin in triumph after what felt an eternity. Behind him, Shepard heard the groan of metal against metal, and the sound of a door long closed finally opening to the air. A waft of decayed air hit the commander's already broken nostrils, and Shepard dreaded at what could they met inside that cursed tunnel. The place looked barely able to fit two people in a column, and he did not want to think about fighting a Krogan inside such a small area.

"Didn't look like much." groaned Shepard "No matter. Samara, in front with me. Jack with Mordin behind. From now on, we move in utter silence."

-And let's hope that this is not a giant trap.-

* * *

It turned out that Shepard's suspects were unfounded this time: no one tried to attack them while trudging inside that small bowel of a tunnel. A good thing, considering that the quartet had to march in utter silence and without lights in what Shepard would forever remember in his nightmares.

For one hour, Shepard and his group trudged through the underground corridors, blind save for their visors and moving through a labyrinth of passages and openings, trusting an old STG map brought by Mordin for the occasion.

More than once they discovered that the main road was gone, turned by time and rust into a crumbling mess of rubble, and were forced to take alternative routes in that dark, hellish maze, using Mordin's memory and their sensors as a new map. In the end, they always managed to get through.

Jack still complained like a bitch for this despite the orders, albeit with just a whisper of a voice. There was a hint of fear in her usually brazen speech. Maybe she was scared of enclosed spaces, but every time Shepard tried to pry further, he received a snarl in response.

When they finally reached the main hatch, their entrance ticket for the hospital, and left that cursed place, everyone left sights of relief. Even one as stoic as Samara could not hide her happiness.

Of course, they were not out of the woods yet, not one bit.

"Ok Mordin, we're in! Where to go now?" asked Shepard to the Salarian

"According to my intel, Krogans are forcing my old apprentice to work on something. Only good place for laboratory work is the inner sanctum, three levels under our feet."

"That far!?" asked jack surprised "Why someone would build a fucking hospital like a bunker complex? And why haven't reached it with the tunnel system?"

"Quite common architecture here on Tuchanka. Enemy clans usually target hospitals. Need to be protected by enemy shelling. They are also provided with small ventilation hatches to prevent enemy incursions."

"Firing at a hospital?" replied jack "That's fucked up! Even for me."

"Not for Krogans apparently, Jack. Move out people, and let's hope that no one notices us inside."

They moved and moved inside the infirmary for what felt like hours, vary of any unnecessary battle and always careful to not make too much noise. The interior of the hospital was as ruined as anything else inside this cursed planet: piles of rubble covered the floor, ancient walls crumbled and fell under their feet, and the residues of old waterworks littered the ground like broken teeth, making the act of moving silently quite tricky. The bleak expanse amplified every noise, to the point that the group felt every step as the one that would betray them, and yet no one came.

The place was deserted, but not abandoned. The more they descended, the more signs of work Shepard and his group found. And not all of them were pretty to see.

"Another room like that?" asked Shepard to Samara, almost dreading the answer.

"Yes, Shepard." replied the Justicar calmly "This room is also full of corpses, human corpses."

The room, barely three meters long and wide, was littered in corpses. Human corpses. Old, young, male, female, they were piled everywhere, like past papers waiting to be disposed of. The stench was unbearable, and everyone had locked their helmet the moment they witnessed such a gruesome spectacle.

"What the fuck is wrong with these people?" cursed Jack behind grinding teeth "This is the second room we found, all chock full of humans. What do they want from them?"

"Same signs of the others?" continued Shepard.

"Yes, commander" this time Mordin was the one that answered to him "Signs of restraints of both legs and arms, and chirurgical scars."

"Can you give me a hypothesis on why they did this?"

"Can only speculate Shepard" began Mordin while still checking the bodies. "Hypnotizing that the Krogans have kidnapped my assistant because they discovered his contribution on the genophage project. Surgical marks on the victims are all near the thyroid and reproductory glands. Clever."

But why humans? Why not experiment on Krogans?" demanded Shepard.

"This is the result of a preliminary phase, Shepard. The human genome is very variable, easy to manipulate and change in response to various biological attacks. Just like Varren'. Experimentations on mother race usually come after this."

"Well, that's nice to know," grumbled Jack behind them.

"Then let's make sure this are the last corpses we find, team. Let'"

"Wait Shepard shouted Samara all of a sudden "There are not only human'. There is a Krogan's corpse here."

The commander quickly sprinted toward the Justicar, careful of avoiding the piles of humans all around him. What Samara said was true: in a separate angle, partially covered by human corpses, there was the body of a Krogan, a female Krogan.

The differences were minimal, both females and males possessed the same ridges and heavy body frame, but this corpse was dressed in what looked a variation of a human burka with ample openings on the mouth and eyes. The fabric was dark and heavy, and covered most of the Krogan's frame, but not enough to hide the many scars adorning her chest and lower back.

"Krogan. Female," said Mordin when he finally reached her. His Omni-tool "Show signs of severe chirurgy on her chest and lower torso. No signs of restraints. She volunteered."

"Why anyone would volunteer to such suffering?" wondered Shepard out loud.

"genophage made her sterile, my assistant's work promised a cure," replied Mordin with a soft voice. There was a strange undertone in the old Salarian's tone now. One of sadness, and small regret "She wanted a child. That is why she volunteered. What a horrible waste."

"What, doctor butcher? Getting cold feet!?" snickered jack back to Mordin, "You said you were here when you improved the genophage no? You had to know about its effect. A bit late to grow a soul at this point."

"It was not supposed to end this way." murmured Mordin back. More to himself than to Jack "The genophage was supposed to contain them. No deaths, no suffering. Just a population control pathogen to prevent the disasters of the past. All this suffering is...wrong. Useless."

"And yet here we are Mordin." concluded Shepard gravely "You know Mordin, I have to go with Jack at this one: The Krogans on the past may have been a danger for the galaxy, but that time is long gone. And this...is disgusting."

"It was necessary Shepard" repeated Mordin with more vigour "Krogans too dangerous. Their society too warlike for pacific coexistence. We needed to lessen their numbers for the good of us all."

"And you decided that the ideal solution was sterilizing them en masse with a bioweapon, turning a warlike people in a mass of desperate mercenaries, ready to do everything for their objectives." finished Shepard "You forgot one thing Mordin. I was here, on Virmire, where Saren promised the Krogans a future without the genophage. I saw the desperate hope inside Wrex's eyes when hearing of such a marvel. That day my friend and I come an inch close to kill each other. We stopped Saren that day, but mark my word Mordin: one day, the Krogan people will find a cure, and that day the anger that simmered within them for centuries will explode like a volcano, and kill us all in the process. We must create a better way, or the future our leader dreads so much will come one day, no matter how many time you splice their genes. Besides." Shepard shrugged, lost in thought for a second "I am ready to bet that this idea is the same that moved the bastard that tortured and changed Lena into a living weapon."

Mordin's eyes blinked twice after hearing these words, unsure.

"Elaborate."

"What? Don't tell me you never thought about it. Hear this, Mordin. Why create a living weapon like Lena in the first place? Not certainly for something as mundane as harvesting organs, or selling gladiators to the black market. My idea is that somewhere, in the depths of the Terminus system perhaps, someone decided to create a new type of weapon. One so powerful, it could rip apart Krogans with their bare hands. Someone reforged Lena as a tool of war, a war so terrifying I dread even to try to picture." Shepard's words cut deep inside the old doctor's mind. You didn't need a brilliant brain to see the similarities between this hypothesis and the current situation.

"And it is not over" continued Shepard "This war, it must have ended someday. Otherwise, the rest of the galaxy would have noticed something already. So, always in hypothesis, let's imagine that the enemy that Lena and her other (supposed) companions fought lost the war, that Lena's faction won. I can see a lot of packs on the backs and shouts of happiness in the immediate end of it from the winning team, but what about the surviving living weapons now? What to do with them now that the menace is gone? Days ago, I asked for her story, and in response, Lena bid for time. I am respecting her wishes, and I will keep doing so until she is ready to open herself to me. But during these weeks, I managed to hear snippets of conversations between Lena and others. Snippets of conversations about a cruel master and how they gained their freedom by rebelling and shedding blood. Rivers of blood."

Mordin's head lowered in shame, the lesson behind this story clear

"This is not the same situation. Agent Lena is not like the Krogans." he tried to counter

"Young girls taken forcibly from their homes, violently uplifted and sent to fight a desperate war. And when they won, their master tried to dispose of them because he couldn't handle them." returned Shepard without a shred of mercy

"For what I can understand, the only difference between Lena and the Krogans is that Lena defeated her master."

This time Mordin found no way to bite back at Shepard. He gazed at the room with blank eyes, not knowing how to reply to someone for the first time in years.

He saw the many humans, caught into a horrible end. He saw the rough chirurgical scars on their mangled bodies and perceived the pain these poor souls must have suffered before dying. He saw the female, willing to sustain such pain for the small hope of having a child.

And something inside him broke.

"I...I do not want to talk about it, Shepard." Crackled Mordin "Need to find Maelon. Need to have some answers for this."

Shepard sighed and waved toward the exit of the room. He pitied the poor doctor right now. He could only imagine just what maelstrom of confusion must be raging inside his mind right now.

And yet, he feared that his tribulations were far from over.

* * *

 **Hospital's main researching area. Minutes before Lena's reawakening**

"Freeze!" shouted Shepard to the people inside. Behind him, his squad members did the same as him and trained their weapons toward the people inside it.

This was it. After hours of stealth, of great cautions and dangerous close calls, they were finally inside the foremost research room, and in front of the Vip. Maelon was here, working on a small terminal at the centre of the small, rectangular room.

The place itself was quite a surprise for Shepard: far from being a half-destroyed laboratory with old technologies and barely standing together, his eyes saw that the Krogans had furnished the place with the best stuff available on the black market. Medical screens, supplies of components of the most excellent order, hi-tech terminals, medicines, chirurgical tools, the site was worthy of a Cerberus laboratory.

All this bounty and yet a solitary Salarian was the only one working. The Vip they were looking for.

He didn't look like much: of average build for his species, dressed in a form-fitting, white doctor garb and smooth, orange skin.

Unfortunately, he was not alone, and that was why both Shepard and his squad had decided to make such a strong entrance, weapons in hand.

The guest inside the laboratory was, after all, a massive Krogan and not a mere soldier if the markings on his armour were accurate.

Old and scarred, maybe even more than Wrex, the Krogan towered around every person inside the room with massive bulk and violet armour. When his brown eyes saw the intruders, a low growl escaped from his old lips but did not fire with his shotgun. He waited instead, patient and calm for the enemy to make a mistake.

"Who are you, pink skin, and why are you here?"

"Name's Shepard. You took Maelon away from his people, I'm here to bring him back," replied Shepard, his shotgun trained at the Krogan

The Krogan smiled at these words. A cold, savage smile

"Wrex's human friend. That Pijiack always bombast your strength and cunning with his war stories. I am glad to see that you are worthy of that fame, human.

No matter. I am Weyrlok Guld, chieftain of the Weyrlok clan, and I says that he Salarian remain here."

Shepard saw Maelon hiding behind a steel table while all this debacle continued. Good, now they could fire without risks.

"In your dreams." snarled Shepard, and opened fire.

The aim was right, but the Krogan moved with speed unexpected from a creature of such bulk and avoided the worst of the shot. More shots and bullets battered his defences now, but the Krogan endured with practised experience, moving for the kill.

His first target was Jack. Uncaring of the many biotic attacks that the snarling girl threw at him, Guld slammed his way against the convict's shield, breaking it with a single shot of his massive shotgun. Jack reeled under the blow, and the Krogan used the momentum to headbutt her with such strength that it sent the young girl flying in the room. She hit the wall with a loud thud and didn't move.

A neural shock coming from Mordin hit the Krogan after this, hurting him beyond words and making him tumble for a second, but still, he refused to die. Shepard and Samara pumped shots after shots inside the warrior's frame, but the enemy's armour absorbed them like a sponge.

Guld roared in pain, and moved his shotgun toward Shepard and aimed at his heart, but a second before firing Samara lashed at him with her biotics. The blow broke the weapons right into the Krogan's hands, and Mordin quickly capitalized with a flame shots that engulfed the warrior whole into a fiery inferno.

"No!" screamed the Krogan in a mad rage. He charged at Shepard with such ferocity that the commander failed to avoid it in time. Shepard swore under the hit and felt his body lifting from the ground. A pair of burning claws grabbing the armoured collar covering his neck.

"You will not...destroy my people's last...hope." roared Guld inches away from Shepard's face. Shepard couldn't bite back such was his pressure on his neck. His neckpiece slowly bent under the Krogan's claws, and a smouldering stench of burning flesh attacked Shepard's nostrils like a mallet. Shepard somehow grabbed his side-arm with his right hand and fired shots after shots on the Krogan's belly, but the beast refused to give up.

Air escaped from his lungs, and black dots started to appear on his eyes. Shepard was losing consciousness, no matter how much adrenaline his damaged armour pumped into him.

Then, by the grace of some miracle, the pressure on his body disappeared.

It took some seconds for the coughing Shepard to understand what was happening: a force higher than any dash of rage had violently yanked the Krogan apart from Shepard. And the one responsible fur such a feat was the Justicar. Samara was glowering with power, in a way that surpassed even a prodigy like Jack. All around her rubble and medical equipment levitated in the air. Samara's eyes became as blue as the energy she mastered after centuries of training lashed out against her foe. Ripped away from his enemy, the Krogan warrior now dangled in the air, flames still flickering across his ravaged body. He roared and fought, but the Justicar's grip was stronger than steel. Then, with a quick act, Samara moved her right wrist, and Shepard saw blood erupt like a fountain from his mouth. Only later he would discover that Samara had increased the gravitic pressure on the Krogan's internal organs tenfold with her attack, causing a total organ failure within the warrior. The Krogan thrashed like a fish outside water in a desperate effort to free himself — all for nothing.

Slowly, methodically, Samara chocked the life out of his weakened body, piece by bloody piece, until he finally died, covering the ground with his blood.

The battle was over.

* * *

 **Hospital's basement. six minutes after the fight**

It was official now: this was Shepard's worst week in his entire life. Period.

Sure, he appreciated the chance of seeing his old friend Wrex once again, and considering the planet where they had to land for these missions, the fact that he was still alive he should not complain so much. But the truth was that, only in these two days, Shepard had managed to wound himself more times than during all the previous missions combined since Cerberus had reawakened him with project Lazarus.

A bloody record on itself. And one that did not want to repeat if possible.

"Feeling better?" asked Samara next to him. Being the only person of the group reasonably healthy, the Justicar had taken the unfortunate duty of nursing back both Shepard and Jack to an acceptable level with a combination of first aid and medi-gel. She did wonders, considering her meagre knowledge and lack of proper medicines (all the ones stashed in the laboratory were Krogan-tailored and so unusable). However, they still needed a doctor's attention.

Shepard snarled at this thoughts, something that caused him to grunt in pain. The mere act of breathing was giving him problems, and the commander knew that once back on the Normandy old Chackwas would give him hell for all of this mess, but right now his mind was too angry at another problem even to care.

Because there was a doctor in his team, one quite brilliant at that, but he was too busy quarrelling with the Vip right now.

"Yes." whispered Shepard back "They are still doing it?"

"Yes, Shepard. They are still at it, and do not seem it will end soon."

Another groan of pain escaped from Shepard's tired lips. All he wanted was to be done with this cursed planet and be back on his ship with the Vip in tow. But the cursed Vip did not want to be saved for some reason, and here they were now, with two Salarian arguings at each other and the rest of the team trying to limp itself back into a decent shape. Shepard had the faintest clue of what they were saying; the language was Salarian, but so different compared from their common tongue that his translator failed to decode back even a single word. Not that it mattered to him right now. Because if he was in bad shape, Jack was even worse: the young convict had managed to regain her conscience, but standing up without falling flat on her face was all she could muster right now. Her face was a mess of blood and pain, with the skin of her scalp heavily cut by the Krogan's ridges, and a hematoma bigger than her fist nested right on her forehead. She was so weak that she even accepted Samara's hand when offered and knowing Jack, that was saying something.

"To hell with this." Shepard cursed under his breath. He had no intention to stay here and wait until someone outside the infirmary finally decided to take a peek at them.

"Shepard, wait! You are still too weak" tried to say Samara, but the commander ignored her plea and forced his body to rise from the ground. Every cell within his body screamed against him and, for a second, Shepard almost tripped on his own feet so much was the pain. But he endured, and this gave him more confidence in keeping on this path. Slowly, one step after another, he burned the distance between the two still quarrelling Salarian. They were mere meters away from him, but still, it took almost one minute for Shepard to reach them.

When he finally did it, he grabbed his shotgun and fired in the air, air breadth from the two Salarian's heads.

That finally stopped them.

"Good! Now that I have your attention" said Shepard to the now very aware Salarians "I want to know from you, Maelon, what the hell is the problem. And from you, Mordin, how do you plan to resolve it."

"You, you are...Shepard." answered Maelon back to the commander "How Mordin managed to involve a Spectre like you in this mess, I will never know. Still, there isn't much to say: do you know about Mordin's work on the genophage?"

"I do," replied Shepard "And?"

"Then I hope you understand that what we did was beyond disgusting. Sterilizing an entire civilization for the sole crime of not being slaves to the Council." grunted Maelon back in disgust "We played God with these people, and look what happened."

"You worked with me Maelon!" swore Mordin at this " You saw my diagrams, the tests. We were all in agreement that this operation was necessary."

"Of course I agreed!" snapped back Maelon "We all agreed! How could we not?! How could anyone of us disregard the works of the great Mordin Solus, the rising star of the Salarian Union?! But I came back to this planet after out work was done. I did, and I saw the piles of dead children and grieving mothers with my own eyes! I saw your "statistics" with my own eyes, and I felt disgusted at my work!"

"And so, you decided to work on a cure." finished Shepard for him "But why working with Clan Weyrlok?"

"I just needed the support of a clan and Weyrlok was the first one to answer. For being a rather conservationist clan, their leader proved to be quite open-minded."

"At least that is clear" mumbled Shepard "But what about the bodies? We passed two rooms full of corpses before coming here."

On these words, Maelon's face lowered slightly in what appeared to Shepard's eyes to be an actual shame but still answered.

"I needed test subjects, for my experiments." was all he said

"You needed a lot of them, then" growled Shepard.

"I had already killed billions with my work, spectre!" grunted Maelon as a form of excuse "What are a few dozens more?"

After hearing this, Shepard felt the urge to skull-fuck the idiot with Lena's blade. And he was not the only one.

"Shepard!" groaned Jack behind him. She could speak now apparently, an improvement in on itself, but Shepard did not like the impasted intonation of her voice. It was weak, almost hollow. Her scalp was still bleeding despite the first aid, and Jack hands relentlessly massaged it to stop the pain "Stop arguing with the little shit and be done with this! I don't think i...i..." Jack lost her footing and fell, and only Samara's reflexes prevented her from hitting the ground. A gurgle of pain escaped from the convict, quickly followed by her puking on the ground.

"Jack is right." grumbled Shepard "We do not have time for this. Mordin, it is your problem, so you deal with it. But be quick about it!"

And so Mordin did. In a way that left everyone surprised.

In a fluid motion, Mordin grabbed the butt of his machine gun and slammed it in the skull of Maelon. The Salarian fell, cursing and screaming while green blood escaped from a cut on the head, but when he tried to rise he found the end of said machine gun pointed at his face.

"Unacceptable goals, unacceptable experiments," said Mordin full of scorn "Brutal tortures, countless murders, and utter disregards of the political and moral outcome of your actions. You...you are not the Maelon I once knew. You are a monster!"

"Come on then!" croaked Maelon back, his voice dripping with venom "Kill me, teacher. Show to everyone that I am right, that we are all a bunch of killers!"

The machine gun moved dangerously close to Maelon's horns, and Shepard believed that Mordin would have fired. Behind him, Samara raised a hand and prepared a biotic attack, but the commander stopped her with a gesture.

"Mordin, I will not stop you whatever choice you make, but are you sure killing your old apprentice is your only choice?" he inquired, "During your conversations on the Normandy, you always told me that you a doctor, not a cold-blooded murderer."

The gun was now an inch away from Maelon's face and did not promise to move away. Shepard had never seen such a look on Mordin. No smile, no focus, only a burning hatred that seeped inside his wrinkled face and eyes that burned like bonfires.

And yet he didn't fire.

Slowly, almost painfully, Mordin moved the gun away from his apprentice's face.

"No, you are right! Am a doctor, not a murderer. Thanks, Shepard." he said "You might all be right. Genophage a mistake, and must be rectified. But not like this."

Mordin left his apprentice on the ground, speechless and mouth agape, but alive. He moved instead toward the computer mainframe and started doing something with his Omni-tool.

"What are you" tried to protest Maelon, but it was too late. The computer exploded with a shower of sparks, and entire terabytes of data appeared inside the main screen, only to disappear forever a second later.

"No!" screamed Maelon.

"It is done" announced Mordin after some seconds "No more research Maelon. No more experimentations, no more murder. Project is scrapped, alongside your protector. Doubt Krogans will help you after this failure."

"Then what will I do?" accused Maelon in tears now "You robbed of my life purpose doctor. What will be my fate?"

"Don't know, don't care!" shouted Mordin back, shutting Maelon in an instant. It was the first time Shepard heard Mordin raising his voice, ever. It was an unusual noise. "Will escort you out the compound, but after this, we're done. Not my problem anymore. Try Omega maybe. Place always need good doctors."

The words hit Maelon like a truck, and the young assistant fell into a desperate silence. Shepard ignored him and moved toward Mordin

"You...ok, Mordin?" he asked.

"Apologies commander. Misunderstood everything. No kidnapping, my mistake. And thank you, for stopping me." he said

"You would have killed him?" inquired Shepard.

"Easier than listening. Better for him too maybe. Experiments indicate how far he's fallen. Once my best assistant. Never expected this from him." Mordin raised his Omni-tool, still working and processing

"One last thing. Destroyed raw data, but still have a copy inside my banks.

Destroying would make all deaths here useless. But one day it may save more people. Faster than creating a cure from scratch. So many variables, what should I do?"

"Keep them." quickly answered Shepard "They caused so much death, but maybe one day they will bring life. And If not, they will serve as a watchman for your mind, and remember you just how thin is the line between good and evil."

Yes will do." answered Mordin "Thanks, Shepard. Illuminating missions. Discovered many new variables. Need to think about my past now. About my actions. About their morality."

"I'm sure of it. But let's move now Mordin. We are still inside enemy territory, and with me and Jack wounded, we cannot afford any battle right now."

 **Sooo, still here? Then i hope you enjoyed it people. See ya**


	24. Chapter 16-3 Tuchanka Epilogue

**Chapter 16.3**

 **Tuchanka.**

 **Epilogue**

 **The end is night, people. Next chapter is the beginning of another arc!**

 **But i digress. Here is the last part on Tuchanka, hope is good**

 **As always, i do not gain a single penny by all of this stuff i am writing so please do not sue me.**

 **Tuchanka. Urdnot's main camp. 11 47 planet hour.**

It was finally over. It took five hours of dreadful march, trudging along a weeping Salarian, a wounded girl that never stopped complaining and a very distracted Doctor, but it was finally over.

Shepard and his group were once again inside Urdnot's main camp, save from any would-be a pursuer of clan Weyrlok baying for their blood and free to let Maelon free to find his path. A path far away from Tuchanka, considering how fast he started looking for a ride.

A part of Shepard hoped that the Krogans would squash him like a bug instead of helping him, but he silenced it with a grunt.

This was not his problem anymore.

There was only one thing left to do inside this accursed planet: witnessing Grunt's ascension into a full-fledged member of clan Urdnot. According to Wrex, everything was now ready and waiting only for him, and the commander saw no reason to let them stew ever more now that all loose ends had been terminated.

For this reason, when the shuttle from the Normandy finally arrived to pick them up, Shepard did not jump inside like the others.

"Don't wait for me. This could take some time," he said to Samara, the only one still in full control of herself in the group. Physically and mentally. "When it is over, I will call for another shuttle. Make sure to inform Doc Chackwas that she is about to receive more work." Samara nodded in understanding

"Good. Good job, everyone. Get some rest once onboard, you deserved. Oh, and by the way, Jack" added Shepard with a hint of malice

"Your face looks like"

"Fuck you, Shepard! You, your fucking family! And your tiny" roared Jack back, spitting words mixed with blood until the shuttle's door clasped shut. Shepard grinned at this.

She was fine. Now he was sure of it.

Shepard moved away from the shuttle, just in time before its engines roared into power and lifted the machine into the ground, all while creating a small sand storm on its own. Shepard stood still, looking at the shuttle slowly disappearing into space, following with his eyes until it became a small dot on the sky.

Only when he was sure that they were gone and safe, he moved away, toward Wrex's throne room.

Wrex looked smashing for the occasion, Shepard had to give him that. Gone was his old, worn and battle-scarred red armour from his body, replaced by the same suit that both him and Shepard had snatched away from that Turian profiteer years ago.

Said armour had also been polished to perfection, just like his weapons and every brick inside the room waiting for Grunt to step up.

There was no one else apart from them. Not even the shaman. Was he not necessary for the completion of the ceremony? Or Wrex decided to not have him around for some reason? Shepard had no idea.

"Grunt, a step forward," commanded Wrex with authority, and so Grunt did. He looked fine, all banged up and healed and showing the widest grin ever witnessed by Shepard in his entire life. This was his moment, what he had always desired since coming out from that stasis pod on Korlus without even knowing it, and he was enjoying every single moment of it.

"Young Krogan, you have passed the test and proved yourself as a great warrior. Many survive the challenges of the Rite, but few ever managed to defeat a Thresher Maw as you did."

-Technically it was a joint effort.- Snickered Shepard, but quietly, to avoid interruptions

"For this reason, I accept you inside my clan, Urdnot Grunt. Now rise, warrior."

Grunt rose up from the ground and looked at Wrex right into the eyes. Shepard saw pride swelling Grunt's eyes. Pride and happiness strong enough to almost overwhelm him.

It was his moment, and he was savouring it.

"Grunt, you can now find a female, join a Warband under any battle-master and fight for positions within the clan. what do you wish to do?"

"I wish to follow you, Shepard, as my battle-master until the end of his quest," replied Grunt with a voice full of pride. He bowed in submission in front of Shepard, something that made the commander grin. "There are no stronger warriors in the galaxy."

"And I accept your offer, Urdnot Grunt." smiled Shepard back. Part of him felt pride after hearing such words coming from the young Krogan. He knew firsthand just how difficult it is to gain a Krogan's trust. "Welcome to the team. Again."

"Good, then this is settled," announced Wrex

"And" continued Grunt, that was not done with talking yet. "I already know which female I desire as my mate. Is the Ripper."

This time Shepard's reaction was far less subdued, and his eyes almost exploded outside their sockets. His mind took many seconds to digest what Grunt had just told, and many more to accept it.

-What is the actual fuck?- he wondered

"Ah-ah! A great choice Grunt, assuming she does not kill you!" beamed Wrex, totally fine with this idea.

"Grunt...why?" asked instead Shepard, still trying to make head or tail of just what had happened.

"This is something that I will reveal only in front of her." answered Grunt "I hope you will not stop me, battle-master."

"No, no, Grunt! I'm fine with that," replied Shepard, still dazed.

-Is Lena that will not be fine, you young fool. And Kelly- He grimaced. Shepard could already see himself drowning in a lot of damage control to do.

"Very well." announced Wrex "The ceremony is now officially over. I have nothing more to tell you, Urdnot Grunt, save for one thing. Fight well under Shepard's name, as I did years ago. Or I will end you."

"I will, clan leader." replied Grunt "You have my word."

"Good, now leave us. Shepard and I have something important to discuss."

Grunt turned toward Shepard, waiting for his signal to go. When he received it, he left the throne room after a small bow, leaving the two old friends alone.

"Well, that was...something," commented Shepard once alone

"You mean Grunt's proposal for the Ripper? Come on, Shepard! It was the only logical end for a warrior like him. That or trying to kill her for more glory." deadpanned Wrex

"If you say so," replied Shepard. He still missed the logic behind him but refused o comment about "So, what are these important things to discuss?"

In answer to this, Wrex straightened his posture, assuming once again a royal appearance.

"First, the official stuff. With your actions against clan Weyrlok, our enemy, and the death of their war-leader under your guns, you inflicted a grave blow against our enemies. Clan Weyrlok is in shambles, thanks to you, and I promise that our clan will repay the debt one day. Your enemies are no our enemies, Shepard of humankind."

"I'm...glad to know." unsure ho to properly reply Shepard's lips let loose the first words his brain managed to scrounge up. "I ill remember this."

"Good!" laughed Wrex at his uncertainty "Gods I hate this crap, but is part of being a clan chief. Don't want another Uvenk bitching about breaching traditions on me. Not so soon at least. Now, for the serious part." Shepard saw Wrex rummaging behind his throne, grabbing something akin to a casket placed behind his throne and putting it in front of Shepard. A casket with dozens of bottle full drinks. Ryncol, Asari ale, Batarian beer, Human Whisky, it looked like every single brand of alcohol in the galaxy had decided to make a stop at Tuchanka today, such as the abundance in front of Shepard's eyes.

"It's been two years since we had a chance to see each other, Shepard, and I'm sure you kicked at least twenty different kinds of asses while I was away. I want to hear everything." smiled Wrex back at Shepard.

"Drinks are on me."

It was such a great offer. To drink and toast with an old friend while swapping war stories. How could he refuse?

-Shame that Garrus is not here.-

"Well, Wrex. I suppose I could stay here for some minutes. Not like they are bombarding the Normandy right now."

* * *

 **Three hours later. Normandy ship in orbit on Tuchanka 17 29 ship hour**

"Where the hell is Shepard?" yelled a very annoyed Miranda back at her intercom. All around her office all the paperwork and files of today's mission, ready to be accepted by the captain before filing them on the archive, fluttered and scattered thanks to her outburst, scattering datapads and files everywhere on her cabin. Miranda's brain seethed in rage at his commander's sense of responsibility, or lack thereof: he was supposed to be already here, back on his ship and governing his crew. Just a quick salute to the clan leader and doing his duty.

It as hat any self-respecting ship commander would do, after all.

Instead, Shepard had decided to throw everything on the wind and have fun with his old friend, paralyzing the ship on Tuchanka's orbit for nothing.

Sense of duty was an option among the N7 apparently.

Someone answered back on her comms. It was Grunt, and what he told her infuriated her even more

"Busy with the clan leader? For three hours?! For pit's sake, we are waiting just for you! Tell him to come back immediately!"

Another garbled answer arrived, covered by what sounded like ...carousing? Miranda begged that, for once, her enhanced senses were lying to her, all while another fit of rage threatened to wash her away.

-When i get my hand on him!- he swore

"What do you mean you can't?!"

* * *

 **Very moment. Wrex's throne room**

"And so I hit the stupid Salarian so hard, he spun like a damn whirlwind!"

"That's insane Wrex! Better of that time when you slammed that fucking slaver into the dirt. How I missed you and your massive guns."

"And I missed you, Shepard. You are the only human capable of standing against me and win! I am so happy that we didn't end up killing each other on Virmire." Wrex's eyes became glassy for some seconds, lost in old memories.

"Ah, Virmire. That was the turning point, Shepard. So many warlords allied themselves with Saren that day, ready to become his slaves in exchange for a morsel of hope. Their death created a massive power vacuum inside our planet, a gap that I used for my ascension. Today, the Krogans are all almost united under my clan. All thanks to you!"

"Still cannot believe you are a leader, Wrex. You were always so fucking grumpy back in the day." slurred Shepard back at his friend. On his hand rested a half-empty bottle of whisky while all around here at least five bottles of beer rattled loudly under his unsteady moves. Still, he was conscious, barely.

All thanks to Cerberus's enhancements, he was sure. There was no way in hell any human might drink what he drank today and still stand.

"And why not, you bloody Pijiack? Because I am not a diplomat? Like those assholes back on the Citadel? I know exactly what my people need and have all the power to enforce my authority. That is all you need for being a chief here." roared Wrex back with mock anger. Ten empty bottles rattled away from him because of this, making a mess on the floor.

"Sure buddy, sure!" chided Shepard back "No need to get worked up. I believe you."

"Good, because now I will give you a suggestion as both a clan leader and your friend. Come here." Wrex wobbly gestured Shepard to approach, while he lowered his massive frame toward the commander.

"You need" he whispered, as much as a Krogan can whisper to another "To mate with the Ripper."

Shepard spat all the alcohol still left inside her mouth, washing the floor and part of Wrex's ridges with it

"What the fuck Wrex?! First, Grunt, then you?" exclaimed Shepard amazed, when he managed to regain some sense that is.

"I am serious Shepard." replied Wrex "You almost died two years ago, and now you are hunting the Collectors! That is good: a warrior like you must always fight, but you need to make sure that your bloodline does not die with you! Every warrior need a lineage, we Krogans understand this perfectly! And the Ripper, she is the ideal woman. Imagine your ability and cunning mixed with her raw power. Imagine just what kind of warrior would you conceive. Aaah, it would be...how do you humans say it?" Wrex mumbled thoughtfully for a second "Epic. Snatch her away from your runt before is too late!"

-Yes, no thank you.- Gurgled Shepard. Lena was a beautiful woman, Shepard was the first to admit it, but his heart beats only for one person. One little Quarian currently waiting to get better on her Normandy.

Besides, Shepard knew, just like almost everyone else on the ship, of Kelly's desire for their resident swordswoman, and did not want to intrude on her life. And besides...

"Wrex" replied Shepard while coughing away the remaining alcohol "Lena is sterile. She cannot give birth."

"Oh." exclaimed Wrex, genuinely hurt by this "Gods damnit, while the best females are always sterile! I bet it is the Salarian's fault once again." he complained.

"Yep, such a shame. But Wrex" rebuked Shepard to his friend

"If you are that scared about me, why not joining my crew? Wrex, I am hunting the Collectors! The deadliest, most powerful foe in the galaxy since Saren! Don't you want to have a go at them? Just like old times?"

Such images of battle and mayhem made way through Wrex's addled mind with great ease, and Shepard saw Wrex's mouth twitch and twist like a snake, gnashing his teeth and glaring at his throne in response to his words.

"I cannot Shepard." finally answered Wrex, his voice sounding almost broken. "Gods, you have no idea how much I want to leave this fucking Circus of Pijiack behind and come with you, just like old times, but I cannot do this!" cursed Wrex with all his breath "I am the chieftain here, and the reforms I'm implementing are working only because of my authority. But you can bet your shotgun with a credit that everything will crumble if I move away, and our people cannot afford this!"

Wrex took another sip from his flask of Ryncol, drowning his displeasure with it.

"No Shepard. I am sorry, I truly am, but I cannot follow you."

Shepard sighed but did not comment on that. He knew that it was the longest of longshots, and only accepted it.

"But that does not mean that I will let you go in battle without something from me." beamed Wrex back at the commander.

"What do you mean?" asked Shepard. In response, Wrex rose up from the ground (slightly wobbly because of all the alcohol) and started rummaging once again behind his throne.

"Wanna gift me a cask full of drinks?" half-joked Shepard, but his voice became a small gasp when he saw what Wrex pulled out of the place this time.

Three shotguns. Three, Krogan made and customed shotguns. The biggest, nastiest and most potent weapons ever seen by Shepard.

"These," said Wrex proudly "Are some of the best shotguns in the galaxy Shepard. They house only one shot per thermal clip, and their accuracy might not be the greatest, but these beauties can fell a Krogan with ease. They are a bit heavy on the kickback, but I am sure you three will be able to handle it."

And Wrex was not joking. Shepard knew about this weapon, thanks to his N7 training and intelligence gathered by the Alliance secret service on Krogans during the years. He still remembered the day they tested this beauty with one of the training dummies of their barracks and watched in amazement how said model, alongside part of the wall, disappeared under a single, massive bolt of pure fuck you. He also remembered the poor sod tasked to test it having his arm broken after firing a single shot.

"Wrex, I" began to say Shepard in wonder.

"No need to thanks me, Shepard." stopped him Wrex "Collectors are tough customers, even for us. I am sure you will find a way to use them, just like the two others."

"Two others?" asked Shepard. He grabbed one of the shotgun and examined carefully, checking the barrel and everything. It was a massive thing, far more cumbersome than most shotguns he ever used just as promised, but the power within it was more than worth it in Shepard's opinion.

"One for Grunt of course, then one for you, and the last one for the Ripper." huffed Wrex back

"Lena?"

"Yes, the Ripper Shepard. I saw how she fought against the Thresher Maw. The shaman made me witness the recording of the battle inside the arena. Such bravery deserves a prize." Beamed Wrex with pride "She must have been a Krogan in her past life. It is the only explanation."

"I will make sure to tell her about your compliment." grinned Shepard

"See that you do. Oh and, by the way, these weapons in your language are called...how are they called." Pondered Wrex for some seconds "Ah yes! Claymores."

"Good to know. Thanks, Wrex, for everything.

* * *

 **Normandy S-r 2. 17 35 ship hour. Kelly's sleeping post**

Click, click, click, click.

The sound of tapping reverberated inside the small, empty bunkhouse that Kelly used to call home since the beginning of this mission. Nothing fancy like the captain's quarter of course. Just a rectangular space packed with bunk-beds, personal footlockers and some tables where to rest and speak with the crewmates during the free hours. All made in steel and synthetic fabric. Steel that now was being used by Kelly's fingers to vent her frustration and nervousness.

Kelly was not supposed to be here right now. Her place was in the bridge, shuffling through files and keeping the commander's emails clean and ready to be read while dealing with spam and scam letters.

It is incredible just how much useless stuff manages to worm its way through even a ship like this.

But he could not do that. Not now. That was why she asked for a quick leave and let another one take her place for some hours.

Many inside the ship smiled at her request, imagining that her claim was aimed at another visit at Lena and Raina, currently still stuck on the infirmary. Kelly even heard an ensign snickering at her, and gossiping to the next to him.

The truth was far worse than that.

In front of her, the blue screen of her personal computer flashed once again, revealing the private message she just received from her Omni-tool. A private message just arrived from an encrypted Cerberus source with the order of sending a special package now resting on the table inside the bunk quarter to a set of coordinates.

The small, metal package placed next to her looked so innocent. A simple container used by people all around the galaxy to send products, gifts and objects all around the planets. But once opened and revealing what was inside the story became quite different: crystal vials containing scarlet blood and Petri dishes filled with genetic samples, that was its content. All things targeted with the paper "subject Ripper." slapped on them.

It was not the first time Kelly received such objects to send somewhere in the galaxy. Among Kelly's many duties, after all, there was one of sending physical packages to their recipient through Cerberus contacts or private posting services. The people inside the ship were, after all, parents, sons, daughters, husbands and wives like everyone else in the galaxy, and wanted to send little gifts or personal letters to their loved once, especially during shore leaves.

Adding the fact that Omni-tool chats were strictly forbidden because everyone and their mother with a lick of hacking knowledge could trace them back to the ship's current coordinates, and it becomes clear why the ship's CO had opted for such an ancient method: you capture an automated drone? Then so what? You now have a bunch of useless emails (the important ones arrived only through a VERY encrypted channel via Miranda.) and now possess an ancient location of the Normany, ineffective at this point.

But the one now next to her was the exception. The reason she had to use an exceptional automated drone, one with hidden coordinates and programmed to self-destruct in case of capture.

The first time a package like this arrived on Kelly's desk was after Korlus, the second day of Lena's hospitalization. She had managed to put a nervous Kelly to sleep, after so many hours of coaxing and babysitting, and she wanted only to go back to her bed and be done with the day. When she reached her bunk bed, she found the package, tightly sealed and with the sign urgent on its front.

She sent it, quickly and briskly, wanting only to be back on her bed for the day, and forgot about it.

But five days later, after Haestrom, Kelly received another package just like the old one. This time Kelly opened, curious about it, and discovered the same stuff that she found today. Blood and genetic samples from Lena's body.

It didn't take a genius to understand their uses: someone, ordered by the Illusive Man, was experimenting on Lena's genetic conditions and needed samples for his research. Samples that someone inside the ship took and she delivered. It was also clear why Miranda was not the one doing the delivery. Why risking a queen to Shepard's wrath when you could sacrifice a pawn like her?

The day Kelly discovered the truth about the package, she stood still for several seconds, grateful that no one was inside the bunk quarter to witness her, and finally decided to send it anyway.

Oh, she wanted to scream at whoever drudged through Lena's body, to break the glasses in its face and be done with this disgusting work. But the simple truth was that she was too afraid to do that. There was no way in hell the Illusive man had not condoned this operation, and disobeying a direct order was akin to a death sentence. Best case scenario, after this mission, she would never find employment anywhere on both Citadel and Human space. Worst case scenario, Kelly didn't want to think about it.

-Come on, Kelly.- urged the fear inside her mind -You have already done it again and again. Just send the package and be done with it. What happens later is not on your hands.-

It was a lie, and she knew that. It took days of constant work with Lena, to break the silence about her mutations and how she gained it. And when she did it, Kelly's blood froze.

The counsellor heard Lena talking about forced mutations, of childer strapped on operating tables and gutted like fishes by brutal men. Of months of pain that drove people mad and suicide. Of handlers treating them like cattle until they were ready, received their trademark sword and the order to save anyone willing to pay.

It was so disgusting and similar to Jack's story in a way, that made clear why the convict was so fond of Lena and sneered on the others. They were so alike in a way: both survivors of the worst of humanity could offer.

And Kelly's mind had the terrible notion that her deliveries were allowing this nightmare to come once again to life.

Groaning in frustration, Kelly pushed such thoughts aside, alongside her conscience, and prepared the package for sending. She was not a hero like Shepard; she repeated to herself. She could not fight the Illusive Man by herself and come out victorious. Better to move along and avoid questions.

Kelly closed the package, sealed with the necessary sigils and prepared to install the coordinates for the drone. When she did, she bumped on a small container placed on the table, sending it tumbling down on the floor, its content trundling down with a crystalline sound.

It was Lena's gift. The earrings.

The silver shone on the dim light of the room like a small star, but Kelly could see a little cloud on the flawless metal.

A cloud born from Lena's blood splattering on the metal.

Kelly's mind stopped on his track, the conscience she so hard tried to silence inside her soul coming back to bite her, more brutal than ever. Her mind automatically replayed the day when Lena saved her from certain death, taking a bullet for her when she could have left her to die, or worse.

She remembered how Lena protected her, how Raina embraced her crying and sobbing when she saw her inside the infirmary, begging for her forgiveness when she left her alone and followed her command.

The scar on her leg, only recently healed, itched again.

"And now you are betraying her!" screamed her mind in full force "You know what Cerberus truly is, despite what Miranda could believe. You talked with Tali, Jack, Shepard and all the others. Do you truly believe they need this blood for simple testing?!" Kelly's fists curled in anger and fear, her mind reeling under the battle of will raging inside her.

"If I disobey, I forfeit my life." croaked Fear inside her.

"And if you obey, you forfeit your pride, your friendship and your soul!" replied the conscience with a more powerful voice.

Both powers wrestled for what felt like hours, going back and forth against each other and drowning her mind with conflicting emotions.

"Stop!" he screamed in the end with anguished voice. She swatted the package on the table with one swipe, sending it spiralling down on the bed's legs with a sound of shattered glass. Not satisfied, she kicked the package for a full minute, making it fly and move like a balloon all around the empty room, causing it to collide with everything inside the room until she was sure the content inside was nothing more than dust and crystal shards.

Only then, she finally calmed down.

An eerie silence greeted her outburst after this, followed by her mind, finally coming back to her senses.

She knew that EDI must have seen this outburst, and already sent a message to the Illusive Man or whoever was in charge. She knew that she had just kicked her career, possible her own life with this action.

And yet, she felt no fear. Neither remorse nor anguish. Instead, she felt calm, calmer than ever.

The deed was done, the dice, cast. Now, she had to see it to the bitter end.

Kelly grabbed the crate on the ground and, without a single word, she moved toward the incinerator placed at the back on the ship, ignoring the stares that everyone she met during her trip gave to her. Mr Massani lived here, but even a gruff soul like him said nothing when he saw the light inside Kelly's eyes. He merely whistled and kept for himself, understanding that any question would have received silence as an answer.

After doing this, and making sure that every single scrap of the package was gone and destroyed, Kelly came back to her room, opened her personal computer and sent a single message back to her employer.

"I will not."

 **And so we are all done with Tuchanka's arc. Rather exciting end, eh? Let's be honest here: an organization like Cerberus would never let something like Lena pass away without trying to fiddle a bit. All in the name of the "Greater Good" of course (You have no idea just how much I hate that philosophy by the way. That is why I never managed to feel with Cerberus during my games unlike others.)**

 **Now, you liked Kelly's decisions? Hope it did. I had planned this moment since the beginning of the story after all. I tried to give her some humanity about her choice instead of turning into a "Hero of justice that always does the right thing". And how do you think will it end?**

 **Anyway, see you next time!**

 **And yes, Lena will use the Claymore shotgun in the future. I mean, come on! How could i not do this?**


End file.
